


Secret Admirer

by Blurein



Category: Original Work
Genre: Artists, Blow Jobs, Bullying, Coming of Age, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gay, Hand Jobs, High School, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Male Slash, Manipulation, Masturbation, Non-Consensual Touching, Painting, Psychological Drama, Secret Crush, Sexual Content, Sexual Identity, Sexual Tension, Thriller, Underage Masturbation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 30
Words: 76,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23367547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blurein/pseuds/Blurein
Summary: *COMPLETED*Ian, a young man with remarkable artistic talent, is often bullied and taunted by his classmates. Struggling to get through the daily routine of high school, his only escape is through art. Secretly using William, another classmate, as his artistic muse, Ian's eyes constantly watch and capture William's every movement.But what happens when Ian learns that he is also being watched?
Relationships: Ian Crowley/Blake Florence, Ian Crowley/William Livingston
Comments: 22
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

A pencil of fine, black lead began scribbling against off white paper in a delicate fashion, pausing in-between markings by the hand of an inspiring artist. The scenery captured their keen eyes and it was enough to make them stop their pace towards the double doors. Instead of continuing towards a building, they took a seat against the base of a courtyard fountain. The sound of trickling water peacefully coursed through their ears, producing a soothing offbeat melody for their listening pleasure.

The rising sun gave off a warm glow, falling against the trees and peeking between leaves to sparkle against an old, wooden bench that rested underneath hanging branches. It was enough to make them stop and stare in fascination at nature, amazed by the beauty that it produced. Their hand was working diligently, not aware of the time or anything else within their surroundings.

"Well... good morning, faggot!" a voice rang loudly, in a taunting manner.

This was enough to make them instantly stop their sketching, blue eyes quickly rushing upwards to see 3 young men hovering above them, smirks and jeers resting on their lips.

"So, what are you trying to draw today, Ian?" a different male asked, of course not really interested.

Eyes quickly rushed towards his left to acknowledge the male next to him, glancing down at his sketchbook soon after. Instead of speaking, he quickly tossed his pencil into a nearby book bag and closed the sketchbook shut.

"Whoa, hang on there, Nancy!" the third male protested with a laugh, reaching over and grabbing the sketchbook in a swift fashion. "Let's take a look at your work! Some constructive criticism never hurt, huh?" he joked, seeing the other two laugh at his action.

"Give it back, Mark...." Ian protested quietly, looking over towards him, his blue eyes pleading.

"Aw, what's wrong, Ian? We just wanna see what you're working on." The first male teased, mimicking Ian's soft, delicate voice in a horrid fashion.

"Heh, he likes to draw a lot of parks and shit..." the boy named Mark stated, seeing the second male looking over his shoulder in an uninterested manner.

"You mean to tell me he doesn't draw other fags like himself?" the first male spoke with a smirk, glancing down towards Ian in mock disappointment. "I expected so much more from you, Little Ian."

Ian, remaining silent at such a statement, looked upwards towards them all with his expression a mixture of irritation and pain.

"Ohh... He's pissed. Better give him his book back, Mark." The second male stated, showing an expression of fake fear.

"I guess I can give it back, Luke... Nothing much to see here anyway..." Mark stated, closing the sketchbook.

"Well, I didn't get a look yet, assholes..." the first male stated firmly, taking the sketchbook from Mark's hands. He thoroughly peered at it through his expensive glasses; brown eyes carefully studying the sketches as he flipped pass many pages of drafts.

"Well, what do you think, Brad?" Luke asked, surprised to see such an appearance on his friend's face.

Brad looked up from his glasses, closing the book slowly. "Honestly... It's all pretty much... shit." He stated, dropping the sketchbook into the fountain behind them, a soft splash being heard afterwards. Brad peered down towards a now shocked, but tight-lipped Ian, whose gaze was resting on the soaked sketchbook at the bottom of the shallow fountain.

"Work harder, fucktard." Brad replied with a chuckle, before walking off, Mark and Luke following as they talked among themselves on a completely different topic. 

Blue eyes remained on the book that was now planted at the bottom of a fountain, pained and distraught. A trembling hand reached in, feeling the cold-water rush against his fingers as he carefully grabbed hold of the book. Pulling it from the depths, Ian watched the water drip from the now wet corners as he lifted it upwards.

A defeated look rested against his face, not bothering to open the pages and see if any of his work could be salvaged. Instead, he reached down to make sure everything was placed back into his book bag, snapped it shut and lifted it over his right shoulder. He began to head into the main hall, the sketchbook resting against his hip as he held it tightly. He kept his gaze towards the ground, trying his best to fight back tears.

-

Two periods had slowly passed in a painstaking fashion. Making it through mathematics and chemistry, there were still 2 more classes to suffer through until the only class that mattered the most: Artistic Studies. It was the only class where Ian didn't feel unsettled, disinterested and threatened. He sadly had to suffer through world politics with two troublesome individuals from earlier. Luckily, it was just Mark and Luke, who didn't seem like much of a threat when Brad wasn't with them. Yet, Brad was just as intimidating alone and even more of an annoyance during physical education, which was the last class he had to attend before art.

However, depending on the activity during P.E., Ian may be able to withstand the torture. If it was a sport that he couldn't participate in, he was able to stare and capture the mystical movement of every other student in the course. There were plenty of detailed physical activities to gaze upon, along with the facial expressions of competition, and that was enough to keep him entertained for an hour.

There was always one person that he loved to watch move across any field, court or track. It was strange, but mesmerizing that someone could have such a physique close to that of _David._ Of course, this was an exaggeration, but it seemed plausible to Ian.

Their skin was an even tanned tone. Their shoulder-length, black hair often moved behind them in the wind from their intense movements, or was plastered against their forehead from sweat. He could see their hazel green eyes darting between an object and teammate quickly, their hands motioning for a specific formation or pattern during a game. During periods when the P.E. teacher wasn't observing to make sure Ian was watching, he had enough time to draw an image of this classmate in a small, personal sketch pad. Without realizing it, he had several images in all their glory. That was something he never wanted anyone to see, especially the actual person.

Having just completed world politics, only to be shoved out the door by Luke, Ian begrudgingly made his way in the opposite direction from the duo, down a long hallway towards a door that would exit towards the football field and lead him towards the gymnasium.

-

"No. I'm not doing it." A voice spoke sternly.

"Oh, Will, please! I really need someone to do this for me today! I don't know who else to ask!" another voice, male, begged in an earnest manner.

"That's not my fault. You should've scheduled a backup." William stated, his hazel green eyes narrowing in a threatening fashion towards a middle-aged man.

"Look, I didn't think I'd need a backup. The student had no problem with it before, but he ended up getting food poisoning and being sent home. I _need_ another athletic male, Will. You're the only other person I know." The older man explained, his hands clasped together to form a ball, expressing his desperation.

"You've got to be kidding me..." William scoffed, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck in irritation. "How did you know the other guy?"

"He was one of my previous students from last term. Never thought a football player would like to paint..." he older man stated in passing, still somewhat surprised by it.

"Look, go ask another football player or something. I don't have time to sit in on your class. I have soccer training for my final period, then it pretty much extends into practice." William protested for a final time, before shaking his head to solidify his position. "I'm sorry... I just don't have the time."

The older man's expression slowly changed, from pleading to impish. "Will... you do realize that I know you need an art credit to graduate..." he spoke in a sly manner, only to see William glance over towards him in concern.

"What... what of it?" William stated, somewhat nervous.

"If you come and sit in on my class today, I will _give_ you your art credit. No questions asked. You know, this is your junior year of high school and you need to knock it out of the way..." the older man forced, a bright grin creeping along his lips.

William, not believing that this man would stoop this low, clenched his jaw tightly as he mulled over the offer. A sigh was soon heard in defeat. "Fine... I'll come for the next period, but this is the _only_ time I'm doing it."

"Thanks so much, Will!" the older man proclaimed loudly, patting the annoyed student on the back. "You're such a great nephew!"

"And you're a horrible uncle, Tim. I don't know why the hell my aunt even bothered to marry you... conniving jerk..." William muttered, crossing his arms across his chest in disbelief.

"Because she loves me, as do you. Now go to class, Mr. Livingston. I'll see you in an hour and a half. Try to get here sooner once P.E. is completed." Tim stated happily, pushing his nephew out of his classroom.

"Yeah, yeah... You better give me that credit, Mr. Anderson..." William threatened, before making his way towards his physical education class.

-

"When are you going to get better, Mr. Crowley?" a Hispanic man with a scruffy beard asked Ian, gazing down at a doctor's note in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gonzales. My doctor will not allow me to play any sports." Ian stated in shame, not happy with this decision either.

"Well, as usual, take a seat on the stands. No way am I having you pass out during a short soccer match." Mr. Gonzales exclaimed for the whole class to hear, a few giggles and taunting being heard not too long after. Ian silently made his way up a few flights of the silver benches, his blue eyes being hidden under his dirty blonde hair. Taking a seat, feeling the cold metal against his bottom through his gym shorts, Ian gazed down towards his classmates with loathing in his heart. But, at the same time, this gave him the chance to watch his muse in their element, considering they were the captain of the high school soccer team.

"Alright! Let's get the girls on one field and the guys on another. I'm going to have Laura and Melody pick team members for the girls. William and... Blake, you guys pick for the boys. Make it quick!" Mr. Gonzales shouted, seeing the students quickly scramble towards their respective fields.

It was always amusing to watch the selected team captains pick their teammates. Most of the time, it was the same students. But, considering that he did not have to partake in the embarrassment of being picked as the last team member, Ian was curious to see how this would go. This intrigued him, because he wanted to see who would pick Brad.

Blake Florence was captain of the tennis team, as well as valedictorian for the Junior class; their year. He was also a very handsome young man. Blake had beautiful blue eyes and platinum blonde hair with a muscular physique to match. But to Ian, his personality seemed arrogant. That was one trait Ian did not like in anyone. Brad was a prime example of this, considering that he was quite wealthy and dating a very attractive female classmate. To him, they seemed to be in the same category of "Asshole."

However, Ian was quite familiar with William Livingston. Who wasn't? He was a very popular student at the school. Not only was he incredibly attractive, his overall persona was gentle and polite. Yet, he appeared to keep to himself most of the time. Ian never caught sight of him being rude to anyone and his grades were highly marked to be direct competition for Blake. He was captain of the soccer team and Ian knew that this match would be done rather quickly based on whom William picked.

They quickly rattled off names, students running over quickly to form a team. Brad was picked for Blake's team, as Ian figured would be the case, but it would've been interesting to see William make Brad actually work. At this point, he just wanted the game to start. The guys always played rougher than the girls. There was so much material for him to use for a new sketchbook later. But, this time, all of his attention would be on William.

William, rather excited and eager, had pulled a green hair tie from a pocket of his gym shorts. He reached up and tied his black hair back into a tight ponytail, before running out onto the field for kick off. This was just early practice for him and he knew that he wouldn't have any trouble beating "Pretty Boy Blake," as he liked to call him, in such an embarrassing manner.

The actual game wasn't something Ian was interested in. He wanted to see William move across the field like a wild animal in their natural habitat. He wanted to watch the excited and worried facial expressions, the sweat begin to soak his shirt after shuffling the soccer ball between his feet, hear the exclamation of joy as a goal was made. He wanted to capture all of that on paper. As the game commenced, Ian carefully pulled out his pocket sketchpad and a pencil from his gym shorts. His eyes began darting intently as everyone moved along the grass.

He tried to capture every moment: The scuffle between William and an opposing team member, the ball bouncing off his head across the field, tripping Brad as he took the ball from him, a goal being made and him shouting in encouragement, him sliding against the grass, a face of irritation being made at a teammate, a hand reaching up to wipe sweat from him face, another scuffle between him and Blake, and another goal that William personally made, pretty much ending the game. 

Within that hour, Ian was able to sketch 10 pages of drafts. After watching so intently, he felt himself breaking a sweat. He closed the pad quickly and placed it back into his pocket, not wanting Mr. Gonzales to catch sight of it. As the games came to an end, William of course winning the match, they were instructed to head towards the locker rooms to get showered and changed before the bell rang for their final class of the day.

-

The locker rooms were the worst part of this class. Ian was not fond of having to share showers with people he did not feel comfortable with. He never knew what could happen and considering that Brad was in the locker room with him, he had to keep himself guarded at all times. He normally loomed by the door as everyone else entered before him, trying to avoid the torture for as long as he could. But today, it was as if he could've avoid confrontation at all.

"Sick, little Ian... Why are you hanging out here in the hallway all alone?" Ian visibly tensed once he heard a familiar voice, much to Brad's pleasure. "Let's go and get changed, shall we?" Brad stated, placing a hand on Ian's shoulder and dragging him inside. There was no point in struggling against him, as it would just make more of a scene.

Once inside, Brad quickly shoved Ian against a set of lockers with a laugh, hearing the smaller male grunt in pain. "You have got to toughen up, Ian. I mean, you've been sick for half of the damn year... What happened? Did someone ram you in the ass too hard?" Brad asked in a scathing manner, another laugh following after. Ian knew that the other students were glancing over and watching, as he could see smirks appearing on their faces. "I mean, what else could've happened? I've never seen you _play_ a sport, so it's not some injury. Well... if you don't count your asshole as an injury..." Brad sneered as he pressed a fist against Ian's lower back rather roughly, a knuckle digging into his skin.

His vision was cut off quickly at the pain and it was better for him, as he could hear light laughter and chuckles within the room. _Just stop..._ he pleaded, his eyes tightly closed. _Just...fucking stop..._

"Hey, Brad. Cool it with that, ok?" someone shouted, getting everyone's attention.

"Why? What's the problem?" Brad asked, looking over to see Blake give him a look of disapproval.

"He's too damn weak to even fight back... and you pressing a fist near his ass looks pretty gay..." Blake stated, a look of disgust crossing his face as he spoke the last statement.

With that comment, Brad let Ian go rather quickly, watching him drop to the floor in a heap. "Well, that's the last thing I need... considering that my girlfriend is pretty hot, and I don't want to be in the same category as this faggot." Brad proclaimed, nudging Ian with his foot before walking away.

"I can't argue with that... if you didn't get Shelia first, she would've been mine." Blake joked as he followed Brad into the showers, Brad soon playfully punching Blake in his right shoulder at such a bold statement.

Seeing that everyone had begun to lose interest in the scene, Ian carefully got to his feet and quickly got changed. There was no need to take a shower, considering that he didn't do anything. Stuffing his gym clothes into his book bag, Ian slammed his locker door shut and hastily made his way out of the locker room. Not wanting to get caught by anyone else, he hurriedly made his way towards the art department, trying to conceal his shame in the process.

-

Mr. Gonzales had kept William back for a few minutes, wanting to discuss his plays during the soccer match. While he was welcome to compliments and feedback, today was not a good day to waste time. He apologized for cutting their chat short and ran towards the locker room to get changed. As much as he did not want to help his uncle with his class, William knew that if he was late or didn't show, he would never hear the end of it during family dinners. 

He pushed open the locker room door just in time to see his classmate, Ian, being taunted once again. This time was a bit absurd; the placing of a fist against the poor boy's back. William had seen plenty of these displays in the past several months. The first time he had encountered the brutal treatment of Ian was last year, when Brad had pushed the student into a puddle filled with mud during their first day as sophomores. He had never witnessed such bullying before.

What William couldn't understand was _why_ Brad was so rough and filled with hatred for Ian. The few instances in the beginning were normal, but they soon became a daily routine. How the other students just sat back and watched, or even worse, _joined in_ with the taunting caused something to rile up within William every time. But, what William couldn't understand was why he hadn't stepped in to make them stop?

The fear of possibly being taunted himself didn't even cross his mind. William wasn't one to back down in a fight and allowed such insults to go ignored. But, what was stopping him?

In a very twisted way, William enjoyed watching Ian be exposed to such torture. But why he enjoyed had it confused him for quite some time. After watching it happen repeatedly for the past two years, William had figured out that he liked to see the graphic expressions of emotion on Ian's face. Otherwise, from his own observations, Ian never showed sentiment. His face was always cast downward, his appearance blank and that of a dreamer, seeming to be lost in his own world.

William came to accept that he savored watching Ian from a distance. He enjoyed seeing him sketch in such an easy fashion. He liked the desperate pleas on his face, the imploring body language that he gave off. It was rather helpless, his blue eyes often begging for _someone_ to come and save him. Yet, for some reason, William never took the opportunity. Or, more so, Ian never saw William near him.

William would come to Ian's rescue in a heartbeat, but Ian never looked his way. He never looked for him. What troubled him about this was that William would frequently catch Ian staring at him intently during class or games. He had never spoken to the boy before, so why Ian was staring at him in an extreme manner often perturbed him. He never made it obvious that he knew, but just quick glances were enough to confirm that those deep blue eyes were on him. But, when he needed William most, when he was being beaten and battered, Ian never gave him a pleading glance.

Today was different. After the incident from earlier, William couldn't really contain much of his patience any longer. Earlier, he had witnessed the dropping of Ian's sketchbook into the fountain and it had been bothering him for hours, hence the tripping of Brad during their game. He knew that drawing was Ian's only escape and for them to take that away from him was enough to make William finally push his puzzled thoughts aside and want to help, without Ian confirming it.

But, before he could even make a step towards Brad, before he could even reach out and grab him, he heard Blake's voice rise above the noise to make him stop. Even William had to admit that was an unexpected gesture. William stared at the valedictorian in surprise, along with everyone else. At that sly demand, he looked over to see Brad let Ian go, slightly wincing at the as he watched them both head towards the showers. He looked back at Ian to see if he was ok, only to be silently shaken at Ian's expression.

For the first time in months, Ian showed an emotion. His face was filled with adoration, thankfulness and kindness. This was all towards Blake; someone who didn't really think anything of Ian. He just wanted Brad to shut his mouth. How Ian could even _think_ of admiring Blake was enough to make William boil. The expression on Ian's face did not last long. He soon got to his feet, changed rapidly, gathered his things and made his way past William without a glance in his direction, hurrying out the door.

That just upset William more. Blake had taken his chance of being the savior and stolen the look of adoration that he had wanted to see for months. This just made him despise "Pretty Boy" even more. Yet, something caught William's attention as he continued making his way into the locker room to get changed.

A small, grey book rested on the floor where Ian had been standing. Before anyone else caught sight of it, William reached down to take the book in his hands, not helping but to look through it in curiosity. 

What William saw was not what he expected.


	2. Chapter 2

Almost sprinting across the football field, Ian quickly made his way towards the building named after an alumni artist. It never dawned on him as to whom it was referencing. To him, it was known as a sanctuary. Only students with a strong concentration in the arts frequent this structure, so it was his safe-haven on the high school grounds. At reaching the main entrance, Ian shoved the door open with the weight of his body, slowing his pace to a tired walk. He knew he shouldn't have run such a distance, considering his condition. But the urge to get as far away from that area as possible was the only thing on his mind.

Leaning against a nearby wall to catch his breath, feeling his chest rise and fall in such a rocky manner, Ian's senses began to acknowledge his surroundings. The sound of students singing in choir rooms, instruments being tuned down a corridor, the smell of chalk mixed with acrylic paints, and soft counting of a tempo from a dance instructor. This was indeed his shelter from reality.

Having calmed his body, Ian carefully made his way down a long hallway, knowing exactly where he was going. This was one routine that he would definitely miss when he graduated. At the end of the day, his artistic studies course was the only thing that gave him confidence in the midst of all the chaos. This was the class that gave him light at the end of a dark, clouded tunnel.

Walking through the doorway, he noticed a handful of students that were preparing for today's class. While he never socialized with these classmates outside of the course, they were well respected amongst each other. This course was for advanced students. If you had the ability to test into the period, you were regarded as talented among your peers. Most of their artwork was displayed across campus grounds, often requested by individuals in the community and highly regarded for art schools and colleges. Several of these students have already been accepted into prestige institutions upon graduation. However, Ian was still trying to break his mold. He was lost between his two abilities: drawing and painting.

A strong passion for drawing had been instilled within him since he was a young child. His parents always joked that no matter where he went, there was a notebook and coloring pencils that joined him. Around the age of 7, he had begun to attempt drawing by sight, trying to replicate objects near him with strong detail and concentration. Painting, however, was a passion that was deeply rooted inside his soul. But, he hadn't found the spark to really make his gift shine.

Placing his book bag onto the floor, he took a seat that he claimed as his own, his supplies resting near a drafting table that had his name labeled across the top. That was a feature that he valued in his teacher, Mr. Anderson. He respected his gifted students enough to give them their own space among the classmates who just wanted an art credit. Each of them had a specialty that needed to be challenged and perfected. Mr. Anderson recognized this and wanted to make sure that every class was an adventure. Today was no different.

"Alright everyone, let's get set up! A student who is modeling for you should be arriving soon." Mr. Anderson spoke, seeing his students prepare their tools. "I hope that you have some questions to ask him. I want you to capture facial expressions, their body movements and how they react to different subjects. Observe what they do to find that perfect image and keep it in your minds. Take it and put it onto paper. If you do forget that one moment, try to find another. He'll be here for a good hour, so you can ask him all you want."

Ian wasn't pleased with the idea of asking a football player any questions. Most of them just played video games, ate a huge portion of food, dated as many girls as they could before graduation, talked about formation plays and the next major game against a rival school. How this would be an intriguing session baffled him. The only question that was mentally prepared consisted of, "So... what's your favorite food?" As silly as it seemed, most people thought about an answer to that question in detail. He listened to the other classmates chat quietly, not really wanting to participate in small talk. Ian was longing for a distraction from his earlier incident, eager to focus all of his energy onto several white sheets of paper.

The classroom door opened and Mr. Anderson chirped happily at the visitor's arrival. "Ah, here he is, everyone! Your athletic model for the day." Soft whispers and excited exclamations could be heard from females, and cross looks of skepticism and surprise spread over males faces. Ian, puzzled by such gazes, glanced over his shoulder to see just who this person was.

At the sight, he swore he could feel his heart leap in shock. There, in his personal sanctuary, stood his modern-day _David,_ the model that he used for his conceptions, the young man that he couldn't help but stare at in fascination. William Livingston was going to be their athletic model for a whole session; _his_ artistic inspiration for class.

"Why in the world are you dressed in your soccer gear, Mr. Livingston?" Mr. Anderson asked with a frown, only seeing William smile sheepishly.

"I'm sorry... but I do have practice afterwards and coach wasn't too pleased with me asking for this." William stated with a shrug, figuring that Tim didn't have much of a choice but to compromise. He did take his training period away from him.

With a strained sigh, Mr. Anderson waved his hands in an impatient manner. "Fine, fine... go and have a seat at the chair... there in the middle of the room. They'll get started soon." He stated hastily, knowing that he only had a good hour before William darted out of the classroom in a blur.

Placing his book bag onto the floor near the door, William calmly made his way towards his designated seat, not really sure what to expect from this classroom full of artsy students. Was he going to pose in an interesting manner? Would he be forced to not move for a long period of time? His uncle did not go into detail, like always. Tim loved to leave people guessing. Settling into the chair comfortably, he quietly gazed around the room at his peers, surprised that he did not recognize many of their faces. Some of them may have been a term ahead or behind, but none of them were in the same year as him.

That was, until his hazel eyes settled on a familiar individual among the group. A knot soon formed in his gut, yet he wasn't sure why. Was it nervousness? He couldn't see why that would be the case. William had no reason to be anxious. But, something stirred within him at the sight of Ian, and he couldn't help but stare at him in such a penetrating manner.

Ian kept his gaze towards the drafting table angled below him, not wanting to make eye contact with William whatsoever. _What... What happened to the football player!?_ He thought tensely, beginning to feel his heartbeat increase. He could _feel_ William looking at him, and he did not care for it. Normally, he was the one watching and observing. Ian wasn't too fond of someone he compared to a demi-god doing the same thing. Having already seen William earlier, the fact of having him be a subject for a class was a visual overload. He wasn't quite sure if he could function, let alone focus to capture a specific moment. Ian knew he would want to copy down _everything_ William did.

"Well, how about we start at that end of group with questions, that way everyone else can gather concepts as well." Mr. Anderson stated, pointing to the opposite side of the room, leaving Ian with the last question. He was fine with this choice, considering that his food question would not suffice for such a person as William. He was going to need the extra time to create a proper inquiry.

William was lost on just what was being done, and it appeared on his face. His brows arched together in uncertainty, before a young girl sitting to his far right finally asked him a question.

"Um... so... what's your favorite color?" she asked in a timid fashion, obviously taken aback with his presence as much as Ian was. It was a simple inquiry of curiosity, yet it appeared to be too modest to Ian. These trivial subjects that everyone would ask did not seem worthy of being answered, hence the reason why his question needed to be striking and unexpected. But, what in the world could he ask William?

Time passed, and William answered each question in as much detail as he could. The questions were all simple and innocent; his favorite color, his favorite food, if he had any siblings (a younger sister in grade school, much to Ian's surprise), did he have any pets, his favorite subject and his favorite sports player. Then, it dawned on Ian. Why hadn't anyone asked him about his favorite past time? They didn't probe for anything sentimental and too personal. Just information that they would ask someone they had just met. He wanted to know something meaningful, something personal and worthy of a story.

"Ian... Ian... _Mr. Crowley_..." Mr. Anderson stated firmly, seeing his student jump in surprise and look over towards him. "Would you be so kind and ask our final question?"

Having been mentally wrapped in his thoughts; he failed to realize that it was now his turn to question their subject. His eyes slowly averted their gaze towards William, the rest of his body remaining motionless as he felt his stare be captured within those green spheres. William waited in silence, patiently, curious as to what Ian planned to ask.

As if to make sure he was still alive, Ian quietly swallowed, his mouth seeming too dry as he scanned over the question in his mind. This would probably be the only chance he had of getting personal information from someone he admired deeply. This could possibly be the opportunity to be just a bit closer to his _David._ Taking in a soft breath as small, polite smile spread over his lips, he mustered up the courage to speak.

"When... was the first time you fell in love with soccer?"

William, not expecting such a question, stared back in interest. It was topic no one had ever questioned him about. Even his teammates didn't ask him this. Hell, his family didn't even bother to ask why he was connected to the sport. His eyes stirred as his mind mulled over the inquiry and Ian could see them doing so very clearly. A sense of assurance had rushed through him, not helping but to feel confident in his choice.

Having thought about his answer in more detail, William shifted in his seat before speaking. "I think... it was back in grade school. During a family gathering, a bunch of my older male cousins were watching a soccer match on television. Well, they weren't really watching, actually. They were more so arguing over teams. I believe it was the US verses Italy or something... I'm not sure. Supposedly, it was a team that the US had never won against, but that didn't matter to me. I was really surprised that... these players could move so _fast._ "

With that, William continued in graphic detail of what he could remember of the game. His face showed signs of amazement and adoration, his hands moved to express his excitement and fascination at such skill during a soccer match. Even a few students were intrigued by his vivid explanation. There was so much to capture, and with each passing movement or facial expression, Ian could see the rest of the class actually moving their pencils rapidly. Yet, he still wasn't content on what he had seen. Ian wanted to capture a specific look, a solid emotion to end this session.

"So, that's what made you get into the sport?" a male student asked, showing a bit of skepticism.

"I guess so..." William stated with a shrug, not entirely sure of how he could explain it any better.

"Is it something that you would consider a passion or just something you'll stop doing in time?" another student asked, female.

"A passion, most definitely. If I could play it forever, I most certainly would." William answered with poise, a brilliant smile on his face.

And that was the moment Ian wanted to seize. The radiant confidence and dazzling smile. That was what he wanted to place into his memory of this event. Without even noticing it, his hand moved in quick motions, the pencil in his hand coming to life as he sketched an outline of the image onto paper. He was quite sure that he wouldn't forget it, unless he had been knocked unconscious at that exact moment. Everything else around him became a blur as he worked, tuning out the world completely.

"Well... I think that's all the time we have for Mr. Livingston. I'll give you guys the rest of the period to finish what you have. I expect the sketches to be completed and solid by tomorrow." Mr. Anderson proclaimed, seeing William get to his feet. "Thanks for doing this, William. I really appreciate it." He stated, a pleased smile resting on his face.

"No problem. It was pretty interesting... I've never done such a thing before." William stated with a laugh. Following his uncle towards the doorway, he politely waved a hand towards the rest of the class, many of them thanking him for his time. But, he couldn't help but glance over towards the only student his could recognize. Grabbing his book bag by the door, he watched Ian working intensely, not looking up from his drafting table for anything.

"Tim..." he stated, getting his uncle's attention quietly.

"Yes, Will?" Mr. Anderson asked, opening the door to his classroom.

"That student..." he spoke softly, motioning a hand in Ian's direction. "What's he like?"

"Ian? He's... pretty quiet. Keeps to himself most of the time. But, he's very talented. He has a slight advantage against the other students though..." Mr. Anderson claimed, seeing his nephew frown in confusion. "His father was an up-and-coming artist."

"Was?" William caught, looking over towards his uncle quickly, before his eyes settled back on the classmate they were discussing.

"Yeah... Shouldn't you be heading to practice?" Mr. Anderson asked, a bit curious as to why William was so interested in one of his students.

Coming back to his senses, William lifted his book bag over his left shoulder, nodding in agreement as he looked away from Ian completely. "Yeah, sorry. I'll chat with you later..." he stated, before exiting the room.

-

At the sound of the final bell ringing, Ian began to gather his belongings and clean up his area, seeing his classmates start to do the same in a rushed manner. Already having another assignment due for this class, Ian figured he would spend most of his afternoon completing his work, especially the new one that he had just received. This gave him something to look forward to once he arrived home. Carefully placing the sketch into a portfolio carrier, Ian placed his things into his book bag and made his way out into the bustling hallway filled with students, heading towards the same courtyard from this morning.

Students began jogging towards the respective transportation areas. Some took the district buses home, while older students had their own vehicles to do as they pleased. Numerous students had bikes and skateboards that were stowed away for the day, longing to be used in the nearby skate park just a few blocks away. Many piled into the backseat of the parent's cars, but it was the rare few that decided to walk home. Ian was among that number. What made him stand out more was that he often took the 3-mile walk home instead of taking the bus. To him, the bus was an easy way to become prey for tormenters.

Rain, shine, sleet or hail; Ian refused to get on the bus with the rest of his peers. He would rather freeze and receive frostbite than deal with such agony. Having to be subjected to such anguish throughout the day was enough. Seeing that the weather was quite pleasing for an autumn day, he focused his attention on heading home, walking in the opposite direction of the school grounds.

"Hey, Ian!" someone cried out, making him halt his footsteps in surprise. He didn't recognize the voice calling out to him. He turned to see who wanted his attention. Much to his astonishment, Blake Florence was heading over towards him and he wasn't quite sure as to why. A perplexed look mixed with slight fear appeared on his face, watching the valedictorian carefully with each step he took near him. It was until Blake was within earshot did Ian realize just how tall Blake was. Ian, being a mere height of 5'8" seemed dwarfed in comparison to Blake's height of 6'1".

"Hey, are you walking home?" Blake asked, a curious smile on his face. Not really sure what this could pertain to, Ian nodded slowly in confirmation, his eyes darting about him to make sure no one else interjected during their brief conversation. "Did... you want a ride, maybe? I live around the same area as you do." Blake asked him casually, his hands resting in the pockets of his trousers as he looked over Ian, seeing a look of disbelief spread across his face. A laugh escaped him, only making Ian tense slightly in uncertainty. "Relax! I just noticed that you always walk home and you literally live a good block away from me. I figured I would ask today instead of just thinking about it."

 _This... is just a coincidence, right?_ Ian thought to himself, still trying to gather his thoughts as to why Blake Florence, a very well known student, would be asking _him_ if he wanted a ride home. _There's no... catch? No surprises?_ He thought to himself once again, seeing Blake stare down at him patiently. A light shrug from his right shoulder was visible, a rather uneasy smile coming to his lips. "I... had no idea we lived that close..." Ian stated softly, amazed by this fact.

Blake nodded in confirmation, rolling on his heels slightly as he did so. "Yeah, I only noticed it a few days ago myself. So, what do you say? I'm sure it's just a good 5 minute drive." Blake stated, reassuring Ian that there was nothing to be worried about.

Not sensing any form of danger from Blake, and he knew the feeling fairly well, Ian decided to take a chance for once in his life, and gave Blake a nod of settlement. "Sure... Thanks..." he spoke with a polite smile, following Blake towards the student parking lot.

-

He really couldn't help but to stop and stare at what was unfolding in front of him. His hazel eyes weren't sure if what he just saw was indeed real. Having been in the middle of warm ups, William had looked over towards the sidewalk to see Ian conversing with Blake "Pretty Boy" Florence, walking alongside him towards what was now the student parking lot. He came to a full halt with his stretching to watch that scene play and he was stupefied at the outcome.

 _Just... what the fucking hell is Blake doing?_ William thought to himself in exasperation, his mind trying to fathom why Blake would be offering Ian a ride home. While he certainly couldn't hear the conversation, he knew that was what they discussed. The motions of walking that were shown with Blake's hands, the uneasy and suspicious look on Ian's face from such an offer. Why Ian agreed to actually be in the same car as Blake Florence, the boy who didn't give two shits about anyone below him, baffled William to his core.

For some reason, he had become very angry... and he didn't know why. Averting his gaze elsewhere, William tried to figure out just why he was so upset. Too much had happened in one day for him to piece everything together. The incident from this morning, the short soccer match between Blake and himself, the locker room scene with Brad, the art class with Ian, and even the grey sketchbook that was resting in the bottom of his book bag. Nothing made sense to him. A mixture of emotions had coursed through him in such a short amount of time. These were feelings that he had never experienced before, or he couldn't remember them if he had.

 _Why... does this bother me?_ William thought deeply, a hand reaching up to rub his forehead lightly in puzzlement. Oddly, images of the art class began to cloud his thoughts. The intense staring between Ian and himself, the look of surprise that spread across Ian's face when it was his turn to ask a question, the slight smile of nervousness when this classmate wanted to know why he loved soccer so much, the scene of Ian working so diligently with his sketch. This all caused an unsettling feeling to build up within his chest, a sting that wasn't painful, yet wasn't pleasurable either. An assortment of sensations ran through him as he tried to sort everything out.

Before he could even come to a conclusion, his coach yelled at him to order his teammates into a run. Scrambling to his feet, William pushed the thoughts aside for now, glancing over to see a familiar black car pull from the student parking lot, a set of acquainted males leaving the premises against his wishes.

William couldn't understand why his heart ached at the sight.

_What.... Is wrong with me?_


	3. Chapter 3

Ian knew Blake was a well-off student, but he didn't realize that he was _this_ wealthy. Once inside the car and buckled, Blake started the BMW with the push of the clutch, hearing the vehicle come to life as the engine softly revved when he pushed the accelerator with the pressure from his foot. He shifted into first gear smoothly, the car soon moving forward from the parking space. Ian couldn't help but gaze around at the interior, assuming that Blake had a love for the color black. The seats were comforting leather, the dash illuminating a soft blue as music being released via Bluetooth through an iPhone that Blake had pulled from his pocket pulsing through the speakers. It was a two-seater; a shiny black coupe with a sunroof.

"Feel free to put your bag in the back." Blake stated calmly, turning his head to watch for other students and traffic before he emerged from the parking lot. Taking a peek into the back, Ian's blue eyes scanned the area quickly, seeing two tennis rackets and a container holding 3 balls resting on the seats. 

"I'm fine, thanks..." Ian spoke softly, wanting to have something familiar resting near him. He tried to get settled in the seat holding him, but his body just couldn't relax. He never thought that he would be inside such an expensive car. He feared that if he moved the wrong way, he'd break something. 

"Do you like a certain type of music?" Blake asked, glancing over towards Ian, only to see the him quickly look over at the question.

"Um... yeah, but I'm not picky. This is fine." Ian responded, glancing down at the phone to see the artist and title scrolling across the screen. _Post Malone: "Wow."... I have no idea who this is..._ Ian thought to himself, too bashful to admit it openly.

"You sure? Feel free to find something else." Blake offered, shifting the car into second gear as he spoke.

It was a tempting offer, but Ian decided to just keep his hands to himself for now. He couldn't explain the unnerving feeling he was experiencing in this car. While Blake was obviously being friendly and inviting conversation, Ian just could not settle comfortably in such an environment. His eyes averted themselves to the passenger side window, gazing out towards the passing scenery.

"So... I heard you like to draw..." Blake stated casually, his bright blue eyes glancing over to Ian once again. He noticed the Ian's face light up in interest, seeing him glance over towards his direction.

"I do..." Ian spoke, surprised as a shrug rolled off his shoulders. "I mean, I try to draw. I'm sure I'm not that good..." he stated, timidly.

"Why do you say that?" Blake asked, surprised at his answer.

"There are... plenty of other students who are far better at it than me." Ian stated with a bashful smile, shifting against the leather seat beneath him.

"So? That doesn't mean you aren't good either." Blake protested with a smile, down shifting as he came to a stoplight. "I'm sure you're pretty talented." He reassured Ian, looking over towards the male fully, only to see him fiddle with his fingers in nervousness.

"Thanks..." Ian spoke softly, seeming to relax a bit more into his seat. This subject was familiar and consoling to him. Any discussion of art soothed his anxiousness. However, he did not know Blake fully and did not want to bore him with this topic. Not wanting to make the situation even more uncomfortable, Ian scanned his mind for something he could talk to Blake about. "So...um... what model is this?" Ian asked, referring to the car.

Blake's expression was alarmed at the inquiry, not expecting Ian to be interested in the car at all. Seeing the traffic light signal them to move, Blake shifted the car once again, accelerating forward. "It's a 2015 BMW M3 Coupe. It was my brother's old car before he went off to college." Blake spoke with a smile, not helping but to show his adoration for the vehicle. "I _always_ wanted it. Since he didn't really need the car anymore, he gave it to me."

This actually intrigued Ian as he watched Blake shift the car into second gear once again; amazed at how he made it look so easy. "You... have a brother?" he asked, rather curious.

"Yeah! I guess you wouldn't have met him since you were a transfer student..." Blake proclaimed, the thought crossing his mind. "He was 3 years ahead of us. He's a sophomore in college right now, playing football. He got in on scholarship."

Ian watched Blake's face illuminate a mixture of emotions, yet he wasn't sure what all of them were. He saw excitement and adoration, but he swore he saw a hint of irritation and jealously in those eyes. He began to think that he was reading too much into it, averting his gaze back towards the window.

"Do you have any siblings?" Blake asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Ian shook his head. "No. I am an only child." He stated casually, having been asked that several times throughout his lifespan.

"Really? You're not a spoiled brat, are you?" Blake teased, a playful grin on his face.

"Oh, no, I'm not!" Ian quickly interjected, almost embarrassed at the tease as he waved his hands in defense. "I don't really ask for much. Just art supplies, really..."

"Well, that's good. The stereotype is that they are usually evil..." Blake stated with a laugh, glancing over to hear Ian softly do the same. "But, you seem pretty cool, Ian. Quiet, but cool."

Ian couldn't help but stare at Blake in fascination. _No one_ had ever called Ian "Cool." He couldn't even remember the last time anyone had actually given him a genuine compliment. An appreciative smile spread across his face. "Thanks..." he spoke, rather sincere.

"Sure! Are we close to your house?" Blake asked, his eyes scanning the passing homes.

"Um, yes. It's the 3rd one on the right." Ian stated, pointing towards a traditional ranch home nestled in-between trees and small shrubs. "Feel free to pull into the driveway...." He added, seeing Blake nod at the offer.

Driving into the tar-paved driveway, Blake slowed the car to a full halt next to a brick-layered path near the passenger side door. The car softly hummed as it idled, Ian shuffling through his bag to retrieve his house keys. "Thanks for the ride home, Blake..." Ian stated with a polite smile, looking over towards the other with gratitude.

"Anytime! Never be afraid to ask and feel free to stop by my place to hangout. I'm only another block up and around the corner." Blake offered, a hand gestured off in the direction of his home.

Ian sat in the seat, his face showing downright shock. It had been a very long time since anyone had invited him over to their house. He stared at Blake, waiting for him to laugh and say that the offer was a joke. "Um... what?" Ian asked, a confused smile on his lips.

A puzzled expression spread across Blake's just the same. "What do you mean 'what'? I said you can come over and hangout if you want. I'm always up for people coming over and visiting." he offered once again, rather frank.

Ian still had trouble comprehending the offer. His eyes searched Blake's face quickly for even the faintest look of jest. It never appeared. A soft laugh of disbelief escaped him as he looked down at his hands, a very excited smile being shown. "Alright... well... that would be nice." He finally spoke, looking up to see Blake smile back happily. "When's a good time to come over?" he asked.

"Awesome! Anytime after school is good. Tennis season is pretty much done and won't be starting back up until spring, so I usually head straight home afterwards." Blake stated, before he reached over and grabbed his phone. "Give me your cell number, that way I can text you the address...." He spoke passively, grabbing his iPhone.

Ian, still somewhat in disbelief, had soon come to his senses and spewed off his number, seeing Blake enter it into his phone as he did so. "Alright, cool. Well, I'll shoot you a text and just let me know when you want to come over." Blake stated.

"Ok... cool." Ian stated, not helping but to imitate the other instinctively. "I'll see you later." He spoke, before emerging from the car.

"Later!" Blake shouted before Ian closed the door. Watching the black BMW back out of his driveway, Ian politely waved a hand in its general direction as he viewed Blake drive off down the road, the sunlight shinning off the car gently.

 _Wow..._ Ian thought excitedly, making his way towards the front door of his home. _I just got invited to Blake Florence's house.... Holy shit...._

He couldn't contain the visible enthusiasm running through him, a bright smile spreading across his face.

-

Each image had such fine detail. Each line was plotted down in a precise pattern. William was beyond amazed at the sketching in this book. With each page came a new viewing of himself that even he hadn't recognized. The swiftness of his soccer playing, the contours of his own face and even the way his school uniform clung against his body. Ian was able to capture simple scenes with no meaning and make them appear dynamic and intriguing. It was flattering, but odd. There were no _other_ images in this book; just sketches and drafts of William.

Sitting on a bench in the locker room, having gotten a shower and beginning to get dressed, the sketchbook had caught his attention as he pulled his uniform shirt over his muscled shoulders. William had not fully looked through the book when he found it. The first sketch had surprised him. But, the more he flipped, the more confused he became. 

_Every drawing is me..._ he thought, a hand rubbing his eyes, as if to clear his vision of reality. The intense stares that Ian would give William all began to make sense. Considering that he had never seen Ian use this book openly, this was some sort of private collection; a personal obsession that no one else's eyes should have come across. He was sure Ian would be devastated if the sole inspiration for this book had actually found out.

Closing the book with a sigh, William tossed it back into the bottom of his book bag as he rose to his feet. He wasn't sure what to do with it. He could toss it in the trash, but a surge of guilt swept through him at the thought. He could easily keep it, but why would he want a book with sketches of himself? That was a pleasing thought considering that Ian drew them, but he felt it to be more responsible to return it. But, when could he return the book?

He had a feeling that if he returned it during school, it would cause a bit of a scene. Ian would probably freak out with embarrassment, drawing attention and causing either Brad or one of his annoying cronies to attempt stealing the book. That was something he did not want to live with. So, it was best to return it in private. Without realizing it, William began to make his way towards the administrative offices, stepping through the doorway to the head desk of the school. Miss Ackley, the high school secretary, looked up in surprise, as she wasn't expecting a student to actually enter into the office at this time of day. She was a pleasantly plump woman in her early 40s, having been here for at least 2 decades. Her hair was beginning to grey in streaks, but her brown eyes were always rather lively.

"Hi there, how can I help you?" she asked with a pleasant smile as she gazed up at William, watching him approach the desk.

"Hello... I... uh, well I found someone's book." He stated politely, seeing Miss Ackley frown in curiosity. "I wanted to return it to them."

"Oh, well, you can just give it to me and I can put it in the lost and found." She stated, getting to her feet and extending a hand for the object.

"Actually...I'd rather just give it to them at their house." William stated defensively, clutching the strap of his book bag in a protective manner. Miss Ackley was confused by his offer, but retreated her hand nonetheless.

"You... know who the student is?" she asked, seeing William nod in confirmation.

"I'm his classmate. I was... just wondering if I could get his address, so I could return it personally..."


	4. Chapter 4

A burst of energy was running through Ian as he sat in his bedroom, hunched over a drafting table and focusing completely on a project. While he certainly needed to finish the sketch from today's class, he had to work on another draft consisting of still life as well. He was sure it would be an easy task, considering that it was something he had been perfecting for years. However, the sketch that he had prepared for the assignment had been drowned in a fountain earlier that day, so he had to start over from scratch.

The sound of alternative music could be heard from computer speakers, a colorful screensaver moving along the monitor of an iMac desktop computer. Ian was humming along to a familiar song, his foot tapping lightly against the lush carpet beneath his toes. He was a completely different person in the comfort of his home; energetic, talkative and expressional. He felt a gentle brush against his ankle and gazed down to see a tuxedo colored cat carefully circling his feet.

"Hey, Forest..." he spoke softly, a tender smile being shown as he saw the cat gaze up towards him in a loving manner. Its green eyes stared up in curiosity towards the drafting table, before carefully jumping up to get a closer look. Ian reclined back into his seat, taking a stretch as he felt his shoulders loosen their tension. Sitting on a corner of the drafting table, the cat's tail swayed in a slow pattern, watching its owner in fascination. Ian reached out to scratch its chin fondly, hearing it purr affectionately. "How was your day?" Ian asked with a chuckle.

"Ian!" a female voiced sounded down the hall. "Can you come here?" they continued.

"Coming!" he responded, swiveling in his chair and getting to his feet. Quickly making his way down a long hallway towards the living room, his blue eyes scanned the kitchen through the bar, confused when he did not see a familiar figure preparing a meal.

"Mom, what's up?" he asked, wondering where she could've gone as he rounded the corner towards the great room. However, his walk stopped short as his eyes caught sight of an unexpected visitor towards the doorway.

"Oh, Ian, there you are." a woman spoke contently. "You have a guest. I'm sorry, your name?" she asked, turning back to the visitor graciously waiting by the doorway.

"William... sorry..." he stated bashfully, a polite smile on his face.

"It's fine, really. I should've asked you first. Come in, no need to stand outside." The woman spoke eagerly, closing the door tightly behind William as he stepped in. "Are you a classmate of Ian's?" she asked, William seeing the curiosity looming in her grey-blue eyes.

"I am." he answered calmly, removing his shoes in the entryway before continuing any further. He noticed that she had a cheery personality, very welcoming and maternal. Her brunette hair stretched down past her shoulders in a curly manner, bouncing along behind her as she walked. She was rather slim, but age was something that showed in her face. She was delicate, but William could notice that time was slowly appearing on her cheekbones. Yet, he still found her to be rather charming.

"Really? Well, how lovely. I'm surprised he has never invited you over before." She chirped, motioning for him to come into the living room. William followed behind her quietly, his eyes gazing over the décor of the house. The living room consisted of walls in a dark honey-brown color; the couch and loveseat an off-white, with wooden end tables resting near the armrests. The flooring was an exotic hardwood, completely buffed and layered evenly. A wood-burning fireplace rested underneath an elegant mantle, a few picture frames resting on top.

The wooden floor continued towards a dining area that rested in a separate room, a small crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling over a glass dining table big enough to seat 8 people comfortably. A tall, dark wood curio sat against an adjacent wall, holding several pieces of china and figures within its glass barriers.

Having been admiring the interior, William had completely forgotten why he was here, until his hazel eyes settled on a familiar looking male, who stared back in utter surprise. William eyed Ian in a quick fashion, not used to seeing him in such casual clothing. A dark grey, long sleeve cotton shirt covered his upper body. The shirt revealed his slender frame and the outline of his waist, before stopping to expose a pair of dark, distressed jeans that hugged his hips in a close-fitting manner. They also showed that Ian did indeed have a pleasant ass that he had been hiding underneath his uniform. His eyes had finally settled on a pair of feet that had been solidly placed against the carpeted hallway.

"Ian, don't be rude..." his mother said with a smile as he walked past him, Ian blinking to return from his dazed state. "Would you like anything, William? Something to drink?" she asked, looking back towards him before entering the galley.

"Um... I'm fine, thank you..." he spoke, showing her a content smile before seeing her walk behind a wall into the kitchen.

His attention was back to Ian as soon as she disappeared from sight, seeing the other male visibly intake a breath as he caught sight of him. "Uh... Will... what are you doing here?" he finally asked, his expression still astonished.

A part of William wanted to take a picture of Ian's face, quite pleased at the fact that he was showing some sort of emotion towards him. He also had a strong urge to reach out and touch the boy, letting a hand carefully trace the curves and arcs of Ian's body. This thought, this _yearning_ , made him somewhat uncomfortable and he pushed the contemplation aside to focus his attention on Ian's question. "I... found something of yours." He stated, shuffling through his book bag that was hanging off his left shoulder.

A rather puzzled expression spread across Ian's face as he watched William dig through his bag, not sure what he could be talking about. He was too preoccupied trying to figure out just how William found out where he lived. Never in a million years would he think of having William Livingston standing in his house. His heart almost jumped at pure revelation.

He could tell that William had just come from practice, as his school uniform shirt was slightly disheveled. It was completely removed from his trousers, the top buttons no longer held back by a scarlet tie but instead opened to reveal a bit of his chest and collarbones. His black hair was tied back with the same green hair tie from earlier that day and his uniform jacket was stuffed into his bag. Ian couldn't help but take in everything he saw, his heartbeat steadily increasing the more his eyes gazed over William in fascination.

But the object that William had retrieved from his bag caused everything within him to come to a painful halt.

"This is yours, right?" William asked, holding up a small, grey pocket sketchbook in his right hand.

A look of complete horror covered Ian's face at the sight, not sure if he wanted to confirm it or not. _How... Did he GET that book?!_ His mind whirled through possibilities, trying to figure out just how the book had gotten out of his bag.

Then it hit him: It must have fallen out of his bag during P.E. after he changed. Right after Brad had pretty much humiliated him in front of the whole locker room and Blake had come to his rescue. _Fuck... Fucking hell...._ That was all his mind could muster as he nodded in consent.

"I thought so." William spoke, extending his hand to return the book to Ian. "It fell out of your bag during P.E. I found it on the ground after you left..." he admitted, not saying much more.

Ian took the book eagerly, stuffing it into his back jeans pocket. "Did... you look in it?" he asked cautiously, not sure if he really wanted to know or not.

William stared at Ian, seeing the suspicion and fear in his eyes. "No... I didn't." he lied, a smile spreading across his face as he did so. "I respect people's privacy. I just figured that you may have wanted it today." He added, seeing Ian's body visibly relax at his answer. A nagging feeling slowly began to develop in the back of his mind, pressuring him to tell the truth and find out _why_ Ian had been sketching him so much. But, he knew that Ian would be devastated and mortified if he told him the truth. So he decided to lie for the sake of keeping Ian from feeling so shameful. _But, is it something to be shameful about?_ He asked himself, seeing Ian bashfully stuff his hands into his pockets.

"Um... thank you... I appreciate it..." Ian finally forced out, his heart settling down as his secret had been completely safe. The last thing he needed was William getting rather upset and heated at him for sketching him in an obsessive manner. Ian couldn't understand just why he was so fascinated by William's physique. Even now he wanted to copy down that solid jaw line that trailed down to his protruding collarbones, his captivating eyes gazing down towards him. But, that wasn't even enough. He almost wanted to touch him, feel his muscled torso underneath that button down shirt, hence the placing of his hands into his pockets.

"No problem. I would've called before I arrived, but Miss Ackley stated that she wasn't allowed to give out the telephone numbers of students." William spoke, adjusting his book bag onto his shoulder comfortably. "I'm surprised she gave me your address."

"It's fine, really." Ian protested, waving a hand to reassure William. "You didn't have to go through the trouble of returning it today. I'm sure you live a bit far from here." He stated, seeing William shrug.

"A good 15 minutes, really. I borrowed my dad's car today, so it's no big deal." William answered, seeing Ian lean against a nearby wall for support.

Before they could even say another word of small talk, Ian's mother poked her head out from the bar. "William, would you like to stay for dinner? I'd hate for you to come all of the way over here and not get something to eat. Or, you could at least stay a while." She interjected, seeing both Ian and William jump at the sound of her voice.

"Mom, I'm sure Will needs to head home..." Ian stated with a laugh as he looked over his shoulder towards her, not wanting her to push the offer further. He wasn't sure how he would be able to handle William staying any longer in his house. He wasn't sure how he could even think of entertain him.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind staying for dinner. I didn't really eat much after practice, so I am a bit hungry. I can just text my mom and I'm sure she'll be ok with it." William interjected politely, seeing the older woman's eyes light up happily.

"Wonderful! It would be a pleasure to have you for dinner! It should be ready in another half an hour. Ian, take William into your room while I finish up. I'll call you when I'm done. No need to stay out there in the living room. There's nothing to do there." she stated casually before going back into the kitchen fully, continuing to cook.

If Ian could've fainted, that moment would have been the proper time to do so. His head jerked back to look at William so quickly, that he almost lost balance. William didn't look up from his phone as he began texting his mother, but a pleased grin spread across his lips as he could see the downright shock of Ian's face in his peripheral vision.

Sudden warmth against his foot broke Ian's intense stare as he jumped in surprise, looking down at Forest who rubbed up against his ankle once again.

"Ah, a cat..." William spoke, finishing his text and placing the cell phone back into his pocket. He kneeled down to allow the animal to sniff him, before reaching over to pet it gently. "How adorable..." he stated softly, feeling the fur against his fingertips. "What's its name?" he asked, glancing up at Ian with a pleasant smile.

Ian, still trying to fathom how William ended up staying for dinner in the first place, cleared this throat softly before speaking. "His name is Forest..." he answered, watching William continue petting the cat. "Um... you can follow me back into my room, if you want..." he offered, turning on his heels quickly and making his way down the hallway.

William watched Ian walk away with an amused smile, scratching the cat's head as he did so. "Your owner is entertaining," he whispered to Forest with a chuckle, seeing the cat gaze up towards him silently. Standing upright, William made his way down the hallway, seeing framed pictures and paintings resting along the walls. He couldn't help but observe them the further down he went. The paintings consisted of scenic nature, people in large groups doing activities and countryside. While the photographs were obviously that of Ian and his mother, however they both looked much younger. There were many images of the two, some of them playing together or even sleeping.

One picture rested at the end of the hallway. It was rather large and professional. William could tell that Ian was in the picture, along with his mother, but an unfamiliar individual was included in this photograph. A man with the same deep, blue eye of Ian's was hidden behind oval-shaped glasses, with blonde hair and a gentle face was placed within that portrait.

His attention was taken from the picture when he saw Forest run down the hall past him towards a bedroom. When he looked in through the doorway, he saw Ian quickly trying to straighten his room, tossing his book bag into a closet, throwing his dirty uniform clothes that were in a heap on the floor into a hamper that rested near a wall, and quickly making his way over to his computer to change the music. His eyes were once again amazed at what they captured in the bedroom. Obviously, Ian's own sketches and paintings would cover the bedroom, but William was more amazed at the size of it. The bedroom was rather large, enough to place a professional drafting table, 2 tall bookshelves, a queen sized bed, a computer desk with an expensive computer and an easel. A wooden chest rested near the easel, which William figured was for art supplies.

"Sorry... It's a bit messy..." Ian stated with an embarrassed laugh, still trying to shift through his music selection for something a bit more reasonable than _Imogen Heap_. William walked into the room and placed his book bag down onto the floor near the doorframe, watching Ian frantically search through his music. "Feel free to have a seat on the bed..." Ian offered, glancing over to see William standing in the middle of the room.

At the offer, William walked over and sat down on the bed comfortably, Forest jumping into his lap and settling happily not too long after.

"Do you like certain music? I can try and find something for you to listen to..." Ian spoke quickly, incredibly self-conscious. William was beginning to notice a tint of redness appearing on his cheeks, not helping but to laugh at the sight.

"It's ok. This is fine." He stated with a reassuring smile. "I like _Muse_." He added as he recognized the melody immediately, seeing Ian sit in his desk chair with relief.

"Feel free to push Forest off of you. He can be a bit too friendly." Ian spoke with a bashful smile, seeing his cat resting in William's lap comfortably.

"It's alright... I like it. I don't have pets at home, so I'm always excited when I get to play with one..." William protested gladly, petting the cat as he spoke.

It didn't dawn on them until the music was the only thing resonating that they were within Ian's _bedroom_. The revelation had made Ian visibly nervous as his face flushed. William couldn't help but be unsettled himself, considering that he was now resting on Ian's bed. He had visited other classmates and friends before, along with having sat in their beds. But, for some reason, being in Ian's bed was completely different. This was the same bed that someone he had been observing, someone that had been confusing him horribly within the past day, had slept in. A part of him almost wanted to lean over and smell it, wondering if it would give off a specific scent that only belonged to Ian.

Just that thought was enough to send his mind into a tizzy, wondering if Ian had done many _other_ things in this bed. Had he made out in this bed with someone else? Did he sleep naked? Did he _masturbate_ in the bed at all? Before he thought anything further, William cleared his throat and averted his gaze towards the picture hanging in the hallway. "So... is that a picture of your family?" he asked, trying to keep his mind off anything else.

However, a part of him almost wished he hadn't asked, seeing Ian's expression change from subtle embarrassment, to somber. A sad smile could be seen as he nodded slightly, his gaze resting on the floor. "Yes, that's me around the age of 9, my mom and my dad..." he stated, sighing softly at the mention of his father. "However, my father is no longer with us."

William wasn't sure if he should question the situation, but Ian could see the curiosity on his face. "He died... about 3 years ago," he proclaimed, seeing William's expression change to pity.

"I'm sorry for asking..." William stated, only to see Ian smile meekly.

"It's alright. You didn't know, and I didn't expect you to. I mean, anyone would've wondered the same thing." He reassured William. "Don't worry about it. I've come to terms with it, really."

William watched Ian closely, noticing that his hands were fidgeting.

"Sadly, he was going to pass eventually... he had a weak heart... there wasn't much we could do about it." He continued, before sighing. "But, I've got a similar problem, so I'm not sure where that puts me..." he said with a light laugh, only to see William stare back in astonishment.

"Well, it's not the _exactly_ same. I just have some form of chronic asthma. That's why I can't play sports during P.E. If I overexert myself, it could be damaging or fatal." He stated, almost casually.

"How... long have you had this?" William asked, not helping but to be curious and concerned.

"Since I was 7, so I've known for several years. That didn't stop me from running around and playing with friends, though..." Ian stated with a chuckle, seeing a smile play on William's lips.

He then looked away from the other male, feeling alarmed at himself. "Sorry... I don't think I've told anyone that." surprised at that fact, seeing a look of puzzlement on William's face. "I haven't had guests over in a long time, so I guess there wasn't the need to tell anyone." He added with a laugh.

"I wouldn't have known unless you told me." William stated with a shrug. "Anything else you're willing to share about yourself?"

Ian looked at William with complete adoration, thinking that he'd be willing to tell William anything he wanted to know. Well, _almost_ anything. "What do you want to know?"


	5. Chapter 5

Pondering questions lead to full-length conversations as they bounced inquires off each other. They discussed the topics of music, movies, games, food, Ian's artistic abilities and William soccer skills, their families and classmates, school subjects and college plans. It progressed into likes and dislikes, birthdays (surprised that they were only a year and one month apart in age, William being the oldest at 17), and even Ian's past in regards to his father's death.

"So, you moved back here about... 2 years ago?" William asked, now leaning back on his elbows that were placed against the comforter.

"Yes. My mom wanted to be closer to the only family we have, which are my grandparents and her siblings. My dad was an only child as well, so his only living relative is my grandfather. We haven't spoken much since the funeral..." Ian stated, sighing quietly.

"But, why did you guys move in the first place? If it's ok to ask..." William asked, trying to understand the purpose of moving away when Ian was so young.

An unsettled expression came to Ian's face, not sure how he should answer the question. "There were... complications in the neighborhood I grew up in. My family didn't think it was safe to stay, so we decided to move. My dad wasn't keen on the idea, since I was only 10 and just getting ready to enter middle school. But, my mom insisted on it. About... 3 years later, my dad passed away. Without much support and help, she decided to move back here a year later. Her side of the family urged her to do so."

"But... you didn't want to move back?" William prodded again, seeing Ian quickly nod in agreement.

"I was... very happy where we were. It was much more... welcoming and content. The weather was also warmer and we didn't have to deal with snow..." Ian spoke with a grin, but his expression settled to a blank stare towards the floor beneath him. "I don't know... I was optimistic towards moving back here, but I was only faced with the same problems before we moved."

William knew what he meant, the first person he could think of being Brad. "What... I mean, why is it that Brad is so... _spiteful_ towards you?"

A look of pure discomfort spread across Ian's face, shifting in his seat at the question. "Well... It... It's somewhat... complicated..."

"Boys, dinner!" Ian's mother shouted down the hall, startling both boys. At the sudden jump, the sleeping Forest had quickly leaped from William's lap and ran out of the room.

"I guess we better head out..." William stated, getting to his feet slowly. Ian did the same, taking a stretch as he did so. His shirt lifted as his arms rose above his head, giving William a glimpse of his flat, slim abdomen in the process.

"I apologize ahead of time for my mom's interrogation." Ian spoke with an apologetic smile, seeing William make a face of confusion.

-

William felt as if he was a new boyfriend getting interrogated by a very protective and nosy parent. Ian's mother, her name being Rebecca, was extremely interested in William, asking him questions about his family and background, how he knew Ian, what he liked to do, what his grades were like (in which she showered him with praise and amazement), what he planned to do after high school, if Ian and himself were close friends, to only hear Ian protest in embarrassment not too long after.

"What? I'm just assuming that you two have known each other long enough to be best friends. Is that not the case?" Rebecca asked, looking at her son in confusion.

"Well, I mean... we've been in the same classes for the past year, but I don't know if we're _best_ friends..." Ian spoke hesitantly.

"I would consider Ian a good friend of mine." William stated nonchalantly, seeing Ian's face once again change from embarrassed to surprise.

"Ah, so you two are still learning about each other." Rebecca settled in her mind, seeing William nod in agreement. "Well, I'm glad either way. I was a bit worried that Ian didn't have any friends at all." She stated, getting to her feet to begin clearing the table.

"No need to worry in that case..." William spoke with a brilliant smile. "Did you need help cleaning the table?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Oh, goodness, no!" Rebecca protested with a laugh. "It's quite alright. I'm sure you need to head home soon anyway. It's rather late..." she proclaimed, looking at a wall-mounted clock to see it read 7:25pm.

"Alright... well, thank you for dinner." William spoke politely, pushing his chair back under the table.

"Of course, William! Feel free to come over anytime!" she offered, beginning to gather the dirty dishes from their meal and head towards the kitchen.

Ian followed William towards the living room, still trying to process that whole conversation in his mind. _Good friends? Really?_ He thought, having not came to that conclusion himself.

"You don't think that's the case, do you?" William asked a very puzzled Ian, as he could see it was bothering him. Ian looked up towards him quickly in defense.

 _Is he reading my mind or something?_ Ian assumed, becoming flabbergasted. "Ah! No, I mean... I just... I don't know..." Ian stumbled, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck, bashfully. "I mean, we've never really talked much until today."

"That's true..." William spoke with a shrug. "But, I think I'm right. I don't think anyone else would've returned your sketchbook to you today..." he stated that simple fact, a pleased smile appearing on his lips.

Ian couldn't argue against it. Anyone other classmate would've tossed the book in the trash or plastered the images around school for all to see. He knew Brad would've done much worse than that. But, William didn't. He took the time out of his day to come and return his book personally. Only a _good_ friend would do such a thing.

"Thank you, again, for that." Ian stated with sincerity. "I really do appreciate that."

"It wasn't a problem. I know that you take your drawing seriously and I'm sure you would've been upset if you didn't have it." William spoke, getting his shoes onto his feet.

 _You have no fucking idea..._ Ian though to himself, watching William stand upright and place his book bag over his shoulder once again. "Well, feel free to stop by anytime. We've exchanged numbers already, so just call or shoot a text before you do come over again." Ian stated, seeing William nod in confirmation.

Opening the door, Ian allowed William to make his way outside, standing in the doorway as he did so.

"Oh, one more thing..." William stated, turning back to face Ian completely.

"Yes?" Ian spoke, curious.

"That project you're working on for my uncle... I mean, Mr. Anderson..." William stated with a small laugh. "Let me see it when you're finished."

A bright smile was shown at the request, Ian not able to hide his enthusiasm. "Will do! When he's done critiquing it, I'll make sure to let you know."

"Ok... have a good night." William smiled back, retreating towards his father's car.

"You too!" Ian spoke afterwards, waving a hand as he watched William enter the car and drive away. Walking back into the house, Ian closed and locked the door behind him, leaning his forehead against it with an exasperated sigh. While that time was overwhelming and tiring, Ian just couldn't contain his joy at what just happened. 

_William was in my HOUSE, in MY bedroom and on MY BED..._

A giddy smile wouldn't leave his face as he pushed himself off the door with a light huff, heading down the hallway towards his bedroom once again.

He actually stopped in the doorway to gaze about his room. It still felt as if William was there. The room gave off invisible warmth when he entered, and he couldn't help but stare at a spot on the comforter that had become ruffled from William's placement. He wanted to go and sit in it, feel the remaining heat from William's body, or more so the shape of his ass considering how nice it was. But the thought just embarrassed him more as he rested back into his seat, turning in a dazed manner as his mind daydreamed the events that had just occurred. It was certainly going to be hard for him to complete his homework.

-

William couldn't do his homework.

His eyes were glazed over as he attempted to read a few chapters of an assigned book for English class. The words blurred in front of him as he recollected the events of what had happened only 3 hours ago. Resting in bed with his back against the headboard, William couldn't focus on anything. When he got home, he had spent time with his family and did a few chores before retreating to his bedroom for the night. It was 10:38pm and he was horribly distracted.

Turing the book upright and placing it down on his bed, William rubbed his hands into his eyes with a soft groan of annoyance. 

_Why can't I concentrate?_

His head leaned back to rest against the oak headboard, hazel eyes gazing up towards the ceiling. Too many things had happened to him in one day. A lot of it was impulse. He never would've gone to someone's house to return a book. He could've easily returned it at school tomorrow. But, because it was _Ian's_ , it was almost instinct for him to personally return it. 

This confused him even more. The fact that he had been watching Ian for quite some time was enough. But today was a lot: He had gotten to know him even more, had found a sketchbook filled with drawings of himself that belonged to Ian, sat in on a class with the boy and had pretty much become friends with Ian in one day.

_Do I even want to be friends with him?_

Considering that he wasn't fully honest with Ian in discovering his sketchbook, William felt even guiltier for calling him a companion. Sure, good friends returned objects belonging to someone close to them, but they didn't _lie_ to them about not seeing its contents. Yet, he knew that Ian would've mentally crumbled in front of him in his own home if William told him the truth. The last thing he wanted to do was see a miserable and panic-stricken look cross Ian's face while he was alone with him.

He was pleased with the span of emotions that were shown on Ian's face earlier. All of the shocked and surprised expressions Ian made, along with the solemn and inquisitive looks, the cheerful, bashful and appreciative smiles. William had never seen so much sentiment cross Ian's face before and each one just caused the same piercing feeling to travel throughout his body. It didn't help that Ian was in completely different attire than normal. The uniform that they had to wear didn't give his body much credit. William knew Ian was slim, but the clothes didn't flatter his slender frame.

While he wasn't muscular, he was pleasing just the same. The long sleeve shirt was snug against his arms and torso, and the jeans fit him in just the right manner that when his back was turned, William couldn't help but look at the way his ass had been promptly settled within them. If he knew that it wouldn't creep Ian out, William would have reached out and squeezed it earnestly.

But, why would he do such a thing? Why did he have a desire to even _touch_ Ian that way? This had been bothering him for quite some time and he still hadn't come to terms with it. He was fond of females, sure. While their breasts were lovely to grope and play with and their asses were great to fondle, it just didn't feel as inviting as Ian's did. They surely didn't give off the same urge to trace their bodies as much as Ian, and he hadn't even given William such signals.

The craving to do so had come without any instigation. If they had been truly left alone in that house, William would've gotten Ian into his hands somehow. That shirt would have disappeared in a blur, his hands finally getting the option to explore as much as they wanted. Each twist and curve along Ian's chest would be acknowledged, both nipples would've been pinched in such an a playful manner just to get some type of arousing response out of him.

Without much warning, William felt the formation of what appeared to be a tent from between his legs, the sudden bulge trying to escape through his boxers and athletic shorts. An eyebrow raised in acknowledgement, a bit baffled by the reaction. 

_Seriously?_

He knew that this wasn't a cryptic action. He was actually _aroused_ at these thoughts and he had never been before. But the more he thought about it, the more he fantasied about such deeds, the harder he became.

It was surely a problem and it was something he was going to have to fix himself. With a frustrated grunt, he lifted the waistband of his shorts as well as his boxers to allow his now attentive cock to be fully erect without restriction. Pushing the clothing a bit to permit more room, he settled back against the headboard comfortably. Quietly reaching over towards a nightstand, he pulled open a drawer to grab a bottle of lubrication. William wasn't entirely innocent. He had sex with 2 girls before in his own home, whenever his family wasn't around. But, he never had physical contact with another male, hence the slight confusion at such excitement.

Carefully squirting the liquid onto a hand, he tossed the bottle onto the bed before gripping onto his rather stiff erection, covering the semi-cold liquid completely around his cock before beginning a steady, consistent pattern of strokes. Each movement from his hand was just more encouragement for such lustful scenes to run through his head, his hazel eyes soon blanketed by eyelids to have a more vivid fantasy.

 _Would Ian ever... want to do... these things?_

William wasn't sure, but at that moment he didn't really care. He would capture that adorable mouth with his own, watch Ian's face change dramatically at each form of physical contact. He would force his mouth open with his own tongue, tangling it with Ian's in earnest to taste him, press his body against him roughly so that Ian could feel the intense heat of his cock pressing against a thigh in earnest. He would reach out and grab Ian's dirty blonde strands tightly as he bit, licked and sucked anywhere he could. Ian's bottom lip, his neck, collarbones, earlobes would all be marked by William's mouth.

He could feel his body start to tense from the thought, William's breathing become deeper as his cock thrust alongside his hand with each stimulating image. Just the pure thought of seeing Ian underneath him in such a disorderly manner, the sound of pleasurable and longing whimpers coursing through his ears with each touch he made against Ian's body.

With a muffled grunt, William felt a warm liquid spill against his hand, slowing his forceful strokes completely as he tried to relax from his lustful high, soft pants being heard as he laid his head back against the headboard once again.

While the session was needed, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to sleep without doing it, William was still taken aback by the choice of fantasy. Sitting up to adjust himself, William reached over and grabbed a sheet of tissue from a small box resting on his nightstand, carefully cleaning himself before tossing it into a wastebasket.

He settled back against the headboard once again, his gaze returning to the ceiling as if to find some sort of answer. But he knew the answer completely. William had become infatuated with Ian, to the point of sexual wanting. 


	6. Chapter 6

Two weeks had passed in a comforting blur, as Ian soon began to feel instances of confidence and acceptance. With Blake often chatting with him during class as well as leisurely through texts, he was beginning to understand what having friends really meant. He had forgotten just how rewarding and uplifting it was. His mood slowly improved and, on some occasions, he actually enjoyed going to school. Of course he was still taunted and teased by Brad and his associates from time to time, but that didn't phase his attitude. These small moments of contact with another human made a world of a difference.

William was not pleased with this in the slightest. Ever since their interaction at Ian's home, as well as the fiery aftermath that he experienced that night in his own bedroom, he could not think straight. His mind had been clouded for days and anytime he caught a glimpse of Ian, that same burning desire flowed through his body. While they certainly did speak to each other during school and in class, William found himself losing composure at times, his heartbeat would begin to increase and he felt his face slightly flush whenever he even heard Ian's voice.

One showcase of his lack of self-control was during a brief conversation at their desks, waiting for their teacher to begin class. William had noticed that Ian was in the middle of sketching something that caught his attention outside a window. The Home Ec teacher was showing a group of students how to prepare their plants for the winter. He leaned over to get a better look, startling Ian in the process and causing the student to laugh blushingly in embarrassment. Just that look of surprise was enough to have the placid loin in-between his thighs awake in excitement, causing him to shift completely in his seat and hide his erection with the ends of his uniform jacket.

Yet this stinging feeling, a painful prick at his heart, appeared whenever "Pretty Boy" even came near or spoke to Ian. It welled within him and it didn't disappear. Instead, it became worse. It was nice to witness someone else wanting to become friends with Ian, but what he didn't like was that this person was _Blake._ The look of welcoming on Ian's face whenever Blake spoke to him, walked with him to class or recently, had lunch with him, just made William writhe in irritation. It didn't take him very long to recognize it as jealousy and he didn't deny it like he had been with his growing attraction to Ian.

But, what bothered him was the sudden interest and politeness from Blake to begin with. He knew for a fact that his classmate, and slight rival whether they openly admitted it or not, had no interest in guys. Blake had made it vocally known when another male student had approached him months ago. He politely turned them down and left it at that. This student had transferred only 3 months after that encounter, which William assumed it was due to hazing and abuse from other students, since Blake spoke of it to his teammates. Feeling some slight sentiment for the previous student, since this was an issue William was still battling in his own mind. Obviously he was attracted to Ian, but he couldn't understand why.

For now, those thoughts would be pushed aside, as his ears caught the sound of conversation between the very two people he had been pondering about.

"That's a pretty damn good drawing, Ian." Blake proclaimed in amazement as he leaned against a nearby desk, watching his classmate continuing to work on an assignment he had for class later that day.

"Thanks..." Ian stated with a proud smile. "It's a project I've been working on. It's Forest." He added, allowing Blake to take the sketchpad into his hands.

"Ah, that's right; your very talkative pet." Blake stated with a smile, seeing Ian laugh.

"Sorry about that. He always does that when I'm on the phone with anyone. I guess he wants to talk as well..." Ian claimed, recalling a time when Blake and Ian were discussing an English assignment, and Forest decided to give his suggestions by coming over and meowing into the phone.

"It's cool. What exactly is he doing in this drawing?" Blake asked, handing the sketchbook back to the other male.

"He's playing with a toy. We were supposed to capture swift motions and try to make them appear lifelike. I figured he would be a good example of this." Ian stated with a shrug.

"Ah, I see! That explains the odd pose he's in." Blake pointed out in fascination, seeing Ian nod in confirmation. "That's pretty awesome! I'll have to see it when it's completed."

"Sure! I'll let you know." Ian offered happily, continuing to work on the sketch.

"Actually, do you do personal sketches? Like, do you do drawings of people and such?" Blake asked, his hands moving about as he tried to explain himself.

"I've... done them before. Why?" Ian asked, catching himself as his mind reminded him of the personal sketches he did of William.

"Could you do one for me? I think it would be cool to have a drawing of myself." Blake asked, rather captivated by the idea.

"Yeah, if you want." Ian stated. "It's not hard to do. Well, at least for me." He added with a confident smile.

"Awesome! Want to do it later today when you come over? If you don't mind, since it's your first visit and all." Blake asked, waving a hand casually as he leaned back against a desk.

"Yeah, that would be perfect! I'll just make sure to bring everything with me." Ian proclaimed, rather excited.

 _You've got to be fucking kidding me_. William had listened to the whole conversation in full, twirling a pencil within his fingers as he did so. However, at the sudden offer being made of a personal sketch, he failed to notice that the pressure he had been applying to it from fury would cause the pencil to snap in half. He looked down at the broken pencil resting against his desk, astonished. He quickly gathered the pieces and made his way towards the trashcan, not helping but to glance over towards the two as he did so with envy.

Blinking somewhat, as if to come to his senses, William tried to control the wave of emotions within him. He let out a sigh of slight defeat, letting the pencil roll from his hands into the recycle bin. _I'm really damn jealous..._

Having finally admitted his deepening allure towards Ian to himself, William soon began to decide just _how_ he would be able to handle the desire he felt for his classmate, as well as explain his unwavering affection to Ian.

-

At the sounding of the final bell, the entire student body had soon made their way out of the double doors of the many buildings that rested on the high school campus. They headed towards the buses and cars that waited to drive them home, or near fields and auditoriums for after-school activities.

Today, however, was different for William. Practice had been cancelled, as their coach had a family emergency to take care of with his 3 children at home. For once in the past 2 months, he was allowed to do as he pleased after school. Heading towards the student parking lot, the keys to his father's blue Ford Focus in his hands, William began to run through the many possibilities of what he could do with a free afternoon. It was rather warm for an October day, assuming that maybe they were in the middle of an "Indian Summer." Maybe, his mind suggested, he could spend some time with Ian again.

However, that idea was soon denied as his hazel eyes caught sight of Ian getting into the same black BMW as before, tossing his book bag into the back, before he settled comfortably within the passenger seat. Blake got into the driver's side not too long after, closing the door before he started the vehicle.

 _For fuck's sake..._ William had forgotten the conversation that he overheard earlier between the two, as he watched the black coupe pull out of the parking lot into the busy street. A deep sigh of annoyance escaped from him, a fist forming as he averted his gaze elsewhere, trying to calm down. He was reeling with jealousy and if he didn't control himself, he could do something drastic.

"I still don't see what he likes in that little faggot," a voice stated in disdain. "Makes no fucking sense."

William immediately knew just whose voice it was, sharply looking over to see Brad chatting with Mark as they made their way towards the parking lot as well. While Brad had decreased his relentless attacks on Ian since Blake had come into the picture, it still didn't stop him from calling Ian vulgar names under his breath. This time, however, William was in an annoyed mood and finally wanted do something about it.

"Brad." William spoke sternly, causing the other male to stop in his tracks at the sudden tone being used to catch his attention. Brad turned to face William in surprise, not expecting him to even acknowledge his presence. William could see it in his eyes, peering through the other's glasses to catch the confused look they emitted. He had never noticed just how close they were in height, their eyes completely level.

"Yeah, Livingston, what is it?" Brad asked casually, refusing to call his classmate by his first name. For some reason, he had some form of respect for the student, even though he did envy him in some ways.

"Just... what the _fuck_ do you have against Ian?" William finally asked, his voice full of firmness and irritation as he did so. He needed to focus his furious energy from Ian and Blake towards someone else, before he did something unthinkable.

A look of confusion had crept onto Brad's face, staring at William in shock. "Why the hell are you getting so bent out of shape?" Brad asked, a baffled grin on his face.

"I'm not bent out of shape..." William stated through gritted teeth, before he realized that he was indeed out of his element and relaxed his jaw, along with the fist that had been ready to strike at any moment. "Just... I'm trying to understand..." he spoke with a sigh passing through his lips as he kept his eyes on Brad. "Why do you hate Ian so much?"

A look of distaste spread over Brad's face, covering the confused and curious expression from before. "Because... he's a faggot." Brad spoke with irritation in his voice.

William scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Look, I get that. You call him that all the time, but seriously. Why do you hate -

"I already told you, Livingston. It's because he's a _fag._ What more do I need to say?" Brad interjected harshly, waving a hand to signal that he was done with the conversation. But, before he could even take a step, William reached out and grabbed his left arm. "For God's sake, Will, what the fuck does it matter to you?" Brad protested, turning to face William once again, his voice full of disinterest.

"Because that's bullshit." William stated promptly. "I've never seen you attack any other student like this. Hell, I haven't seen you treat an openly gay student this roughly." William spoke in defense. "That's how I know this is something different and I want to know why."

"For what?" Brad asked, voice still stern and annoyed.

"It bothers me." William spoke, rather sincere.

"What?" Brad asked, as if he was unsure of what William had stated.

"It actually bothers the hell out of me. I just can't... stand by and watch someone get bullied when I don't think he deserves it." William answered once again, releasing Brad's arm slowly.

"You don't know the story." Brad protested, his hands going into his pockets as he stared back at William, as if to dare him to question his treatment of Ian once again.

"Story? What story?" William asked, completely lost on the subject.

An eyebrow rose in suspicion, Brad not sure if he was really unaware of the issue. "You seriously don't know?" he asked, seeing William raise his shoulders in uncertainty.

Brad jeered, a malicious smirk playing on his lips. "Because I've actually _seen_ Ian kiss another dude and let me tell you, it wasn't without harsh consequences."


	7. Chapter 7

"It's _huge._ " Ian's voice sounded in awe, his blue eyes staring off in adoration.

"Yeah, my parents like the secluded area, as well as its size." Blake stated with a laugh as he pulled the car forward through a metal gate after pressing a button hanging from the sun visor.

He drove through a winded, tar-paved driveway towards a rather extravagant home of modern style. It was a 3-leveled house, resting on the top of a hill surrounded by tall oak trees and bushes. It was indeed secluded from the rest of the neighborhood and it felt as if it took at least 5 minutes just to pull up into the 3-car garage. His eyes gazed over the exterior in fascination.

He admired the wood paneling that covered the garage and the right side of the structure. The pale white concrete that covered the rest of the building. Its rectangle formation showed stacked levels in an abstract way, with the main level horizontally long, the second level shorter in size and shape. A sunroom rested on top of the garage, its tall windows allowing the sunlight to come in through the thick, glass panes.

He was told that there was a basement as well when Blake led him through an entrance from the garage. His eyes continued to gaze over the interior in the same manner. The walls were covered in the same white color as outside, the wooden floors the same paneling that covered the garage, but with a glossy finish. The kitchen had chrome appliances, with a wine rack built in to rest inside a half-wall. An island rested in the middle of the open floor, bar stools settled beside it. To the right of the area rested a glass dining room table, with cushioned metal chairs that gave the illusion of being covered in chrome as well.

Following Blake, he was then lead past a threshold and peered down at a large living room with white leather furniture, a wall-mounted HD flat screen television and elaborate sound system. It was all placed in front of the same enormous windows as the sunroom, open to show scenery of a forest that rested behind the house, as well as a wooden deck that led to a giant pool.

"It's... awesome." Ian finally spoke, having been in shock for quite some time. He heard Blake laugh, rather amused at his expression.

"Every time I invite someone over, they say the same thing." Blake proclaimed, beginning to remove the shoes from his feet. Ian followed suit, quickly bending down to take his shoes off. "You want anything to drink before we head to my room?" he asked Ian, placing his shoes by the front entrance.

"Water would be fine, thanks." Ian spoke politely, putting his shoes in the same place as he watched Blake head back towards the kitchen. His eyes continued to gaze about the interior, trying to take everything in. He noticed several paintings and photographs resting along the walls. There were drafts of what appeared to be architecture and paintings of large skyscrapers, along with a family portrait, childhood pictures of Blake and another young man who looked similar. He quietly walked over to gaze upon a large picture of another male, older and much more muscular than Blake. He had the same resembling facial structure as his classmate, as well as the same piercing, blue eyes. But, the hair was a bit darker and shorter in length.

"That would be my oldest son, Jacob." A low, deep voice stated from behind Ian.

He jumped in fear, whirling around to see an older man towering above him. If Blake made him feel small, then this man made him feel like a child with his height. He gazed up at him quietly, seeing the gentleman smiling down at him politely. He noticed the same blue eyes that had been staring at him from the picture, but this man's blonde hair was styled handsomely, slowly being engulfed with salt and pepper strands.

"Hey, dad." He heard Blake proclaim as he walked over, handing Ian his glass of water as he approached. Ian took the glass carefully, glancing between Blake and the other man in surprise.

"Who's this quiet stranger?" the man asked with a laugh. Ian swore he felt the flooring beneath his feet shake slightly at his voice, but he assumed he was imagining it.

"He's a friend of mine. Ian, meet my dad." Blake stated with a smile, seeing the older man extend his hand for Ian to shake. Ian reached out to take the man's hand, impressed at the grip as he took hold of it. Ian now knew just where Blake had gotten his height and appearances. His father was visually striking. While he was older, he still gave off a strong look of physical strength and masculinity, his arms showing signs of holding heavy weights as his muscles were slightly protruding from his grey button-down shirt. His face was that of an handsome celebrity that just got better with age, or at least that's what Ian thought as he smiled back self-consciously.

"Nice to meet you..." he finally spoke, seeing the older man nod.

"So, what are you two up to?" the man asked his son, seeing him shrug.

"Nothing much. Hanging out, really." Blake spoke, seeing his father clear his throat before speaking.

"Alright. You a swimmer, Ian?" he asked as if to initiate some form of small talk, only to see the boy shake his head quickly in response.

"No, I can't swim." Ian answered, taking a sip of his water shyly.

"Really? I'm going to have to teach you how to swim." Blake said with a light laugh, hearing his father do the same. Of course, his laugh was a bit lower in pitch.

Ian shrugged at the offer, before his eyes found their way towards the picture from before. "Is... this your brother?" Ian asked Blake, of course being well aware of it.

"Yeah, that's Jake." Blake stated as he glanced over.

"That's my hardworking son." His father stated proudly, a triumphant smile appearing on his lips. "Always had the build of a football player, and an intelligent boy at that. Got into school on scholarship and he's kicking ass in his major. Made the Dean's List for chemical engineering." He spoke, his voice full of passion as he did so.

Ian listened in adoration as his eyes gazed over the photograph once again. He noticed that all three of these men had the same facial structure and slight physical makeup. "That's pretty cool..." he proclaimed, impressed.

His facial expression had soon changed as he noticed a look of irritation on Blake's face, seeing him silently continue drinking his water. But it was gone within the blink of an eye, giving Ian the impression that maybe he hadn't seen it at all.

"Alright, we're heading to my room. When will mom be home to cook dinner?" Blake asked, looking over towards his father.

"Oh, probably in another hour or so. She had to stay for some overtime." His father stated, before seeing his son nod. "Well boys, have fun. Nice meeting you, Ian." He spoke with the same handsome smile, before he retreated to the living room.

Waving a hand politely, Ian watched the older gentleman take a seat on the couch, pressing the remote button to turn on the television.

"Well, let's head to the basement." Blake stated, motioning for Ian to follow.

-

"How would you like me to draw you?" Ian stated, taking a seat on a wooden stool in the middle of the room. His sketchpad and pencil were resting in his hands while he watched Blake sit in a black computer chair, rotating himself with a light push of his foot against the carpet.

The basement was just as lavish as the rest of the house. The walls were completely covered with painted white brick, a beige color carpet covering most of the floor. It was an open floor plan, save for the staircase, doorway that leads to the upper level, and a full-sized bathroom that was placed underneath the stairwell. An entertainment center rested against the back wall, a television the same size as the one in the living room mounted, and a black microfiber couch positioned in front of it. 3 gaming systems rested in a glass case that was located below. Two tall bookshelves were placed on opposites sides near the TV, filled with games, movies and music.

A queen size bed was settled behind Ian, its frame and headboard a solid black color as a white comforter and black sheets covered the mattress. Music and movie posters were framed and hanging along the walls. A professional pool table was resting on the opposite side of the room near the staircase on grey tile where Ian had been sitting.

"I'm not sure. Do I need to be in a particular position or anything?" Blake asked, before he turned to face his computer, his hand reaching over and taking the mouse under his palm. He moved the cursor towards a music player and picked a song, music being emitted through wall-mounted speakers placed in high corners.

"No, not really. I mean, you could just sit there and chat with me. I can always draft something from that." Ian stated casually, seeing Blake turn back to face him in his chair.

"Just from conversation?" he asked, his expression rather surprised as he watched the other male nod with a smile. "That's impressive."

A bashful shrug could be seen, Ian resting his sock-covered feet against the legs of the stool for support. "It's something that I need to be able to do. Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, you can always just play a game or something while I watch." He offered, seeing Blake's face light up at the offer.

"I think I'd rather do that." He stated, getting to his feet and reaching for a game controller. "I don't think I can handle you... staring at me with such a serious face." He admitted with a grin, turning on the television and pressing the button in the middle of the controller as he watched the system illuminate to life.

Ian laughed. "That's fine. I don't think I can do it either." He admitted, adjusting his position on the stool. He quietly watched Blake search through his game collection, settling on a first person shooter. Ian was rather horrible at most games, so he was quite glad that Blake hadn't offered for them to play together. Once the game had started, Ian was able to easily find material to use, based off the sounds and facial expressions that Blake emitted while playing an online multiplayer match. The soft grunts of getting a hit, the laughs of delight at a win, the groans of defeat. At times, Ian couldn't help but laugh softly to himself when Blake had become agitated with his random selection of teammates.

"God, these guys suck ass..." Brad muttered harshly, hearing Ian quietly chuckle to himself. At the match's end, he glanced over to see Ian working meticulously with a sketch, his right hand moving quickly with each stroke, his eyes focused on the pad resting against his lap. "You actually have something?" he asked, seeing Ian nod with a small smile on his lips. Getting to his feet, Brad made his way over towards his classmate. Walking to stand behind Ian, he glanced down to see a detailed sketch of himself, a rather pleased and content expression being shown on the paper. "That's amazing..." he spoke in awe, his eyes gazing over the drawing.

"Thanks..." Ian stated softly, still concentrating, as he didn't notice Brad appear behind him. "It wasn't very hard to do..."

"Really?" he heard Brad ask in curiosity.

"Yeah. Honestly, you have a very distinctive facial structure. That's not a bad thing..." he stated with a reassuring smile. "I could see it with your father's face, as well as your brother's. You all have a very distinguished look."

"I see..." Brad spoke, but Ian wasn't sure what the tone consisted of as he vaguely listened to his response, having been distracted with his work. This actually caught his attention slightly, his senses arising at the pitch of Brad's voice.

But before he could even act on it, he felt the support suddenly disappear from underneath him, the stool's legs having been kicked roughly to the side, causing him to yelp in shock, collapsing against the tile floor beneath him. His head landed against the tile, hard. The sketchpad and pencil that had been resting in his hands had flown from his grasp as he lay on the cold tile beneath him, his back against the floor. The throbbing pain that soon followed from the impact caused him to softly cry out in pain, his vision exceptionally hazy as he tried to gather his surroundings. His vision blurred from the agonizing ache, as he lay there, unsure of what just happened.

The sound of a voice could be caught faintly, but he was unsure of what they had stated as he also heard music.

"What...I can't..." he muttered, as if he had lost the ability to speak completely.

Soon, he felt a source of heat above him as he tried to focus his visualization. This uncertainty caused a hint of fear to develop within him.

It didn't take very long for it to become full-fledged fright.

Something was beginning to make it way underneath his shirt, and at the sudden contact, his hand instinctively went to force it away.

"....fight me, Ian." A voice sounded again.

The voice was beginning to sound familiar, and he soon began to regain control of his mind and body once again.

"What...?" he stated, blinking roughly as he tried to focus his eyes once more. Finally, he found himself gazing up towards a ceiling; the music becoming very clear in his ears and the sudden heat that had slowly engulfed him had been that of another human. He recognized the touch of a hand against him, this time it had made its way under that uniform shirt to slide against his skin. Utterly fearful, a hand moved to stop it in its tracks once more, only for it to be met with even rougher treatment. In a swift motion, he felt his hand land against the tile and it was held there against its will.

"I said, don't fight me." The voice rang again; it's tone cold and unnerving. This time, Ian could recognize it.

"Blake...?" He stated softly, yet his own voice was quivering in fear.

"You sound terrified." Blake spoke softly, but Ian could tell that a smile was resting on his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

He wasn't going to deny that fact, and he was sure that it was reflecting on his face. He felt his breath slowly begin to quicken, not liking the position he was currently in as he tried to fight from underneath Blake's weight, but he was met with strong resistance. Not too long after, both of his hands had been taken and held above his head, causing him to gasp out in horror.

"S-stop." He forced out, his voice still shaken.

"Well, that's not going to happen." Blake spoke casually, his free hand removing the scarlet uniform tie from around Ian's neck with such ease, that he had impressed himself as a smirk rested on his face.

Ian gazed up towards Blake; his face mixed with fear and pleading as he did so. His chest moved in such an irregular manner. The rush of terror running through his body was making it hard for him to breathe. He could see the resentful look in Blake's eyes, as well as some mixture of lust.

"Blake, _please_... don't..." Ian pleaded once again, his body struggling, trying to escape.

"If you don't stay quiet, I will shut you up." Blake threaten softly, the hand that had been holding the tie reaching down to undo the belt resting around Ian's waist.

"Stop it!" Ian finally cried out, any form of reasoning being completely forced out of his mind as he went into a full panic.

At the sudden shout, Blake had reached below him to soon force something into Ian's mouth, hearing him attempt to shout and cry out against it.

"I doubt you can get that out of your mouth." Blake stated with a chuckle, watching Ian struggle to push a rolled pair of socks from his mouth, muffled yells being heard. 

Ian soon felt something tight around his neck, causing him to intake air through his nose quickly, his cries being stifled.

Blake gazed down at Ian with a cold expression, a hand wrapped around the other male's neck carefully. "Relax," he stated in a hushed manner. "No need to be freighted, Ian. We're just going to have fun. _Very_ , interesting fun."

-

Half an hour had passed in what seemed like hours. Within that time frame, Blake had used his full control over Ian to drag him to the bed, using the tie that was once around Ian's neck to bind the other male's hands to a bedpost that rested on top of the headboard. Any protests and cries had gone unheard as the socks were still firmly placed in Ian's mouth. Holding his classmate down, Blake had removed Ian's trousers, as well as boxers from around his waist. He had unbuttoned the white shirt that had been covering his torso. Considering that he was much more powerful than Ian, it was easy for Blake to do whatever he wanted.

In just that short time frame, he had touched Ian in unspeakable places and in such rough, forceful manners. Each contact against his skin just caused Ian to release muffled sobs of protest, which just encouraged Blake to do more. He scraped his fingernails jaggedly against Ian's skin, bit him hard along his arms and neckline, trailed a long line from his collarbone to his waist with his tongue. A trail of salvia had spilled into his own hand before he actually took hold of the Ian's cock in his hand tightly, hearing him shout out even more through the cotton in his mouth. 

His eyes watched Ian shake his head in objection frantically; his body writhing against his unwelcome touch with such vigor, that it just made Blake press on further. Without any hesitation, his hand moved in a rhythmic fashion, feeling Ian's body jolt to a halt at the contact. Having gotten this reaction, Blake continued further, he could feel the cock coming to life, Ian's body shaking slightly with each movement he made.

Stifled moans could be heard, but they weren't of acceptance. Ian wasn't sure what to feel or think. This wasn't something he neither wanted nor longed for, but his body was actually attentive, whether he wanted it to be or not. The more Blake's hand moved against his now erect cock, the more his mind didn't respond, so his body took over. The feeling was warm and slick, but rough and was causing some form of stimulation to course through him. He had never felt such a sensation before, but he didn't want to experience it like this.

His head shook in objection once again; his eyes still welled with tears as he gazed up towards Blake, choked cries escaping him as he watched. The more he protested, the more Blake moved. As if he had no control over it whatsoever, his body arched as his mind was going completely blank, each movement against the head of his cock sent sharp jolts of fire through his body.

His vision went white before his eyes, which had now glazed over completely. His mind had began to retreat from consciousness, trying to block this whole ordeal from his memory. He didn't even realize that he had cum onto Blake's hand not too long after, his body going limp once the aftershocks had finally dispersed. His ears had picked up the sound of a rough grunt, before he felt something warm hit against his stomach in spasms. He didn't even want to avert his gaze downward to see what it was, knowing full well what the liquid sliding down his stomach was. He kept his clouded blue eyes towards the ceiling above him, a new set of tears streaming down his face.

Another noise, that of a sigh and ruffle against the comforter filled his ears, causing his body to twitch in anticipation for something else.

"Calm down.... I'm done." Blake stated casually, clearing his throat as he did so.

Ian remained silent, listening to Blake move carefully until he felt something wipe against the now sticky substance that had be planted on his abdomen. Slowly, he adjusted his vision downward to see Blake cleaning him off, before he soon began to button his shirt. Blake had caught his gaze once he had reached his collar, his expression blank as he reached over to take hold of Ian's face, seeing him jump at the touch. He pressed his fingers into the boy's mouth to remove the socks, hearing Ian cough and gasp for air right after.

He tossed the soiled pair to the side, before reaching down and grabbing the boy's trousers from the floor.

"....why...?" he heard a voice ask through soft, choke breaths.

He looked back over to see Ian, his head hanging in utter shame and disgust, his gaze averted completely. With another deep sigh, Blake had taken the boxers and began to snake them up Ian's legs.

"It's not really your fault, Ian." Blake spoke, rather relaxed. "You see I have this... urge to just... control something. Humiliate something or someone. Sadly, you seemed like a reasonable victim." He proclaimed, releasing the waistband of the boxers from his grasp, before beginning the same process with his trousers.

"It doesn't help that you are remarkably attractive and innocent. Honestly, you're just _asking_ to be dominated and abused. But, at the same time, you frustrate the fucking _hell_ out of me." He stated, allowing the pants to rest comfortably against the boy's body. He reached up to take Ian's face into his hand once again, lifting him up to see his expression completely.

That same-clouded look from before remained there, his eyes starting back at Blake in utter distaste. With that, a hand was once again wrapped around Ian's neck, causing him to choke roughly. "I want to take you so badly that I wouldn't think twice about hurting you." Blake admitted through gritted teeth, his grip tightening as he did so. Ian softly gasped, his eyes closed at the sudden pain. "But, I don't know _why_ I want to do it. So, you're going to help me figure it out." He proclaimed, releasing his grip from around Ian's neck.

Ian hacked once he was able to breathe, his head resting against the headboard with a slump. "I-I won't... no..." he gasped between deep breaths, hearing Blake laugh softly.

"Look, you don't have much of a choice." He stated, getting to his feet, zipping up his pants as he did so. "And you do realize that you can't tell anyone of this ordeal." He added, seeing Ian's eyes shift in his direction. "I will _beat_ the living shit out of you if you even _think_ of telling a soul about this. Don't think I won't." he reassured Ian, hearing the other male whimper in defeat.

Reaching over to take the tie, Blake had released Ian from his binding, his arms falling to his sides at their freedom. "Think about it..." he stated, tossing the tie towards Ian. "No one would believe you anyway. They'd think you just wanted the attention and would want to ridicule me somehow. Considering that I've been showing you nothing but kindness and friendship, they would just assume you were trying to blackmail me somehow."

The offer of being invited over, as well as the sudden interest of friendship had all began to make sense to Ian. Blake didn't want to become a companion. He wanted to _use_ him for his own sick, twisted pleasure. He knew how to make it work. He had been watching Ian get tortured for months. He knew which buttons to push to make Ian fall right into his hands. To Ian, Blake was a master manipulator and he knew that he was right about no one believing him, as well as Blake abusing him if he even attempted to tell someone about this. If he had the ability to pin him down and molest him against his will, he was sure he could cause even worse damage if he defied him. 

He felt a wet cloth against his face, looking up blankly to see Blake cleaning his face. "Be glad that I didn't let it go any further than that." He stated, tossing the towel aside before he began to place the tie back around Ian's neck. "Remain normal around everyone else, and we won't have any problems." He demanded, adjusting the tie to be presentable. "You left anything slip, I will _come_ _after_ you." Blake spoke with a pleasant smile.


	9. Chapter 9

"Number 78!" a voice shouts among a crowd of customers.

Walking over towards a busy counter, William takes the tray of fast food into his hands, giving a slight nod of thanks towards the cashier before making his way over towards a booth. Sliding across the pleather covered cushions, he finds himself sitting directly across from his classmate. Brad rests comfortably against the seat, a styrofoam cup settled in his right hand as he sips from an extended straw. The two of them were alone, Mark deciding to take his leave at the offer William made of grabbing a bite to eat and talking in private. The fact that Brad knew personal and damaging information about Ian was enough to try and coax the relentless bully into joining him. He was surprised when Brad agreed without too much hesitation.

"Why the hell is this place so busy?" Brad stated causally, his eyes scanning the restaurant through his oval lenses.

"All the schools are done for the day. This is the closest hangout spot we have in our district." William proclaimed calmly, placing a fry into his mouth not too long afterwards.

"I'm surprised you don't have practice, Livingston." Brad spoke, his eyes resting on the other student adjacent from him.

"Coach had to take care of his kids." William stated with a small smile. "You did hear about him and his wife, right?"

A light chuckle could be heard from the other student, a smirk coming to his face. "Fucking sucks. Never would've thought she was a cheating slut...."

William shrugged slightly, unwrapping a grilled chicken sandwich from its wax paper. "Some people have interesting lives."

A slight sneer followed, Brad placing the cup containing a vanilla milkshake down onto the table. "So, just what do you want to know about Ian and me, anyway?" he asked, deciding that small talk was pointless.

Quietly eating his sandwich, William glanced over towards Brad with a complacent expression, seeing that this was making Brad a little unsettled. Considering that earlier, his classmate was quite confident and proud for his actions towards Ian, he could see that Brad was rather pathetic and average alone. Not having anyone else to back him up made him appear vulnerable. This gave William the feeling of control.

Swallowing the bite, he leaned back into the cushions comfortably. "What do you mean? You seemed eager to tell me about it a while ago." He stated, a smile not helping but to appear on his lips.

A look of pure annoyance crossed Brad's face, his arms folding across his chest. "I already told you. I've seen Ian kiss another guy, so that makes him a fag. What more do I need to say?"

"Seriously?" William asked, trying to hold his keen mind at bay. "I mean you make it appear as if there's some sort of... backstory to this or something."

Brad averted his eyes towards a window, his left shoulder rising in uncertainty. "There is. Most people already know about it. Well... the people who are still around, at least."

"Still around?" William asked, confused.

"The people we grew up with." Brad added, his tone showing signs of irritation. "I still want to know just why the hell you care about this asshole."

William, finishing his meal altogether, placed his hands on the table, folding the fingers together cautiously. "Because of how you treat him. I have no damn clue why you taunt him like you do. I don't know what this... story is."

"That still doesn't answer my question of why you care." Brad stated firmly, his eyes quickly moving to stare at William intensely.

William took a deep breath, more so in frustration. "Ian seems... harmless. He seems innocent. I don't like watching people being harassed. That's why I care." William spoke, of course refusing to mention the fact that he was totally attracted and slightly obsessed with the student in question.

"Such a model student..." Brad joked with a small grin. "He's not innocent. He's a manipulative fag."

"How?" William asked, wanting more detail.

"How do I explain this?" Brad stated, a hand reaching up to scratch his chin slightly. "Ian, myself and another guy that we grew up with all lived in the same neighborhood. So, that should give you the impression that I've known him for a while." Brad stated, before continuing. "We hung out together, the 3 of us mostly. There were other kids in the area, but the 3 of us just... clicked, I guess. But, Ian was seriously the weakest of the damn group. He couldn't really run a good minute without having to stop to catch his breath."

William soon recalled the condition that Ian had mentioned; his chronic asthma. However, nothing was beginning to piece together just yet. Why this related to the story of Ian and Brad seemed irrelevant. But, for now, he just quietly listened and took everything in.

"The other guy was a close buddy of mine. His name was Jake. We were literally born in the same year. I grew up with him, played at his house and everything. Our parents had known each other for years. So, I'll just say he was my best friend." Brad proclaimed, clearing his throat softly, as if to collect his thoughts. "Ian's family moved into the area a couple years later. I think he had to be around... 7, or so. Jake and I were a year older than him. I really didn't care for him, obviously. But Jake, for some reason, just... invited him in."

"So, you were jealous?" William interjected, only to see Brad frown at the fact.

"Yeah, I guess." He stated with another shrug. "He was... fucking weak. We couldn't play a game of tag without him having to gasp for air. It just irritated me. Jake was the caring type... Kind of like you, really. Always wanting to help everyone and make sure everything was fine. I'll admit that Ian wasn't a completely bad kid... he could play baseball pretty damn well, when he wasn't dying." Brad stated with a small smile. "But, something about him just put me off. He's very... different."

A look of uncertainty appeared on William's face and Brad had watched it slowly do so.

"You don't see it?" he asked, seeing William raise an eyebrow in question. "He's... just... well, he doesn't have the physical make-up of a dude to me, really. He's thin, not muscular, and his face is... gentle, not rugged. I don't know how to explain it." Brad stated in a frustrated huff. "He just seems... delicate."

"I can see that..." William spoke softly, having recognized it himself. Ian appeared more feminine in physical features, not that it was a horrible trait to have. He didn't have facial hair or muscles; his voice sounded as if it hadn't gone through puberty. Instead, it was very soft and sensual. His hands didn't have a roughness to them. They were subtle and thin. His body was slender and somewhat figured, to the point where it drew William in. This was something that he could understand completely. Ian was physically distinctive. Maybe it was due to the lack of physical activity due to his condition, but Ian was indeed different, and this was enough to make William horribly engrossed in him.

"Glad I'm not the only one..." Brad stated with a soft sigh. "Growing up, he just appeared to be the... girl in the group, really. Of course, I know he's not a girl as I've seen him naked." He spoke, only to see William's eyes widen in surprise. "Dude, we had sleepovers." He added, seeing William laugh slightly. "But, I think this gave Jake the impression that he _had_ to take care of him. Almost like a younger, defenseless sibling."

Brad paused, adjusting the glasses that slid down the bridge of his nose as he took another sip of his drink. "Well... after a couple of years, we had gotten used to it. Ian had even gotten to the point of apologizing for his illness or whatever it was. Jake told him not to worry about it, but I always told him to toughen up. I would tease him and tell him he was easy to tackle and wrestle, since he couldn't fight back, and it was true. I could pin him down without too much trouble. He hated it, so he always tried to prove that he wasn't that weak by offering to tussle. Of course, he'd always lose, but at least it kept him ambitious." he stated, before continuing. 

"But, there was an... instance where I showed up to Jake's house a little late. We always met up at his house after school let out. His parents weren't usually home, but they didn't mind. I had a doctor's appointment and told Jake and Ian I would be over late." Brad paused again, shifting in his seat once again.

William could see that Brad was uncomfortable discussing the subject, thinking that maybe he shouldn't have pushed the issue. "You... can stop, if you want." He offered, not sure if Brad could actually handle talking about he topic like he said he could.

"No, it's cool. You wanted to know... well... I'm going to tell you." Brad stated with masked confidence, his chest puffing slightly. This didn't last long as he once again gathered his thoughts, trying to speak clearly. "The door to Jake's place was unlocked, so I just walked right in. But, I heard some thudding noises and laughter on the second floor. I figured they were playing a game or watching something on TV. Before I headed upstairs, I stopped at the half bath downstairs. When I emerged, I heard silence. It... confused me and I thought that maybe they had went out in the backyard. But, I didn't hear any footsteps. Just to make sure, I headed upstairs to Jake's bedroom and... I guess they didn't hear me... so... I ended up seeing them..." he hesitated, his hands rubbing together slightly.

"Seeing them... what?" William asked, deeply intrigued, but trying to remain sensitive towards the subject.

"Kissing, Will... Fucking _kissing_ in the middle of Jake's bedroom floor. I mean... it just didn't make any sense. I guess they had been wrestling or something because... Jake had Ian pinned to the floor on his back... was holding his arms and everything... and they were..."

William saw Brad's hands clench into fists as he spoke, his gaze averted downwards as if he was lost in thought. He could tell that Brad was replaying the whole scene in his head, piece by piece. It had made him horribly uncomfortable and for once, William had begun to understand the untainted dislike Brad had towards Ian. "Did... they see you?" he asked, trying to ease the story along cautiously.

Brad laughed slightly, in disgust. "Oh, they saw me. I threw a fucking picture frame against a nearby wall in anger and it scared the shit out of them. Jake scrambled away from Ian in shock and Ian just... lay there. He didn't even move. I figured he was just surprised to see me standing there, as if I had ruined something important. He... had this look of pure horror on his face. I didn't know why, until I looked over my own shoulder to see... Jake's dad."

A feeling of slight terror had traveled through William's body as he could only imagine the look on an adult's face, especially a father, at the sight of their son kissing another boy.

"I didn't tell you..." Brad stated with a sigh. "Jake's father was a preacher. So... you can imagine just how angry he was." He spoke, seeing William nod slowly in response. "The thing is that... he didn't say anything. His expression was enough to show just how pissed he was. He pointed at Ian and I, then said 'Leave,' in the most threatening voice. I looked back over at Jake before I made a run down the steps, and I saw the most... terrified look on his face. I had _never_ seen him make such a face... And... that was the last time I saw him."

"What... do you mean?" William asked, not sure if he wanted the answer or not.

"Jake killed himself 4 days later...." Brad stated softly, his gaze looking for a distraction outside of a window.

That was all William needed to know about the situation. He could easily sum up the rest of the story himself; Jake's father had probably punished his son severely, mentally and physically. It eventually caused Jake to be riddled with shame and guilt, causing him to commit suicide. With that, Ian had developed even more guilt, and Brad didn't take the death of his best friend lightly. Instead of getting the whole story from Ian, he ridiculed and bullied him in anger and despair, blaming him for everything. Of course, this incident was not hidden from the parents, which caused the Crowley family to make a decision: stay and watch their son get hurt and blamed for a horrible incident, or move. William knew the rest of the tale after that, considering that Ian had already hinted towards a "complicated" event that caused his departure.

"I... didn't know..." William stated, not sure how to respond.

"Well... now you do." Brad proclaimed, leaning back into his seat. "So, now you see why I hate that... _annoying_ faggot." He stated with spite in his voice, as if trying to contain his burning hate.

William shot Brad a defensive look. "That's still not a good reason to... torture him like you do." He stated quickly, only to see Brad stare back at him in surprise.

"You've got to be fucking kidding..." Brad stated, in disbelief.

"Ian was not the reason that Jake killed himself... it was Jake's dad." William defended.

"His dad wouldn't have made Jake feel so fucking guilty... that he _killed_ himself... if _Ian_ hadn't kissed him." Brad stated, firmly.

"Are you... sure Ian kissed Jake... or was it the other way around?" William asked, not realizing that he shouldn't have questioned the story. But, he soon did, as he saw Brad send him a threatening look before pounding his fist on the table.

"Does it _fucking_ matter?" Brad spat harshly, a rage visibly coursing through him as he watched William carefully. "I don't give a flying fuck who did what. All I know is that because the two of them had locked _lips_ that my friend is dead. Ian didn't protest the story otherwise, so that gave me enough evidence to conclude that Ian _kissed_ Jake _first."_

William didn't push the issue further, seeing a few people look over towards them in concern and confusion. He exhaled deeply, figuring that there was no point in trying to reason with someone in regards to a death of a close friend. He could understand Brad's frustration and hatred, but he could also see the possibility of Ian being completely innocent in this matter.

From his own observations, Ian didn't appear to be the type to do such a bold action. He was cautious, timid and bashful. He was like a young cat that had been abused for such a long time. Once he had found an owner who wanted to treat him with love and affection, he wouldn't know how to take it. He would either attack in fear, or instantly latch onto them out of desperation. This is what worried William the most when it came to Ian and Blake. But, that was something he would concern himself with later.

"So, you finally understand my... _hatred_ for him?" Brad asked with a smirk, as he had finished his drink completely. Not sure how to answer the question, William quietly nodded in confirmation, seeing Brad sit upright in his seat. "Good. Now you know why I must make him feel as miserable as hell for what he did."

With that statement, William couldn't really contain his protective nature for much longer. "Look, Brad... I understand your frustration with the... situation..." he stated carefully, seeing Brad's eyes narrow at him slightly. "But... you have to understand that it obviously hurt Ian just as much as it hurt you. He was a friend of Jake as well. Now, I don't know both sides of the story... honestly, I don't care to know. But, you need to realize that Ian has probably suffered enough over this. He probably feels guilt everyday. You... really... need to let it _go."_

It was protesting had fallen on deaf ears as he watched Brad quietly tap his fingers against the table in silence. Once William had finished speaking, Brad had grabbed his book bag, placing a strap over this right shoulder. "Livingston... you can keep being the 'Knight' type. It's admirable, really." He stated with a scoff, before continuing. "But, Ian deserves everything that he gets from me or anyone else for that matter." Brad moved out of the booth in a swift movement, getting to his feet. Before he walked away, he stopped beside William, leaning over carefully as he did so. "I would suggest you not fall prey to his defenseless act as well... for your own _good."_

William continued to sit in his seat, his eyes staring ahead as he listened to Brad walk away from him completely. Once his classmate had departed, he carefully made his way out of the booth as well, grabbing the trash that rested on the trays as he made his way towards a trash bin.

_I think it's a little too late for that._


	10. Chapter 10

Everything within him seemed hallow. Was he really there, or had he become an empty shell of himself? Lifeless and numb, not really sure what was controlling him as he walked through the hallways, his gaze keeping to the floor below him. He could hear the sound of students and teachers, a speech sounding roughly through speakers stating announcements. But, nothing seemed coherent. The voices appeared muffled as they passed through his ears. His body appeared cold, yet it was completely covered by his uniform. His eyes appeared to be dazed, due to the lack of sleep and stress.

Ian seemed like a robot; emotionless and unnerving. Even when his peers would bump against him through the crowd, he could hardly feel the contact. His mind had retreated elsewhere, barely functioning beyond its self-imposed boundaries. Last night, after his encounter with Blake, he walked home in a distressed state. A part of him wanted to curl up out of sight in the middle of a sheltered area and hide from the world. The wooden region behind his classmate's home seemed plausible. But, just the mere fact of being within several feet of Blake frightened him. Just the sheer thought of the other sent tremors through his body.

When he returned home, his mother was not there to greet him. She had been called into work for the night, considering that she was a nurse at a local hospital. He was completely alone, and he was thankful for it. He had barely made it inside the entryway and closed the door before he fell to the ground, coiling into himself and sobbing uncontrollably. His body shook roughly as his hands grasped against his arms, as if trying to warm himself from some sudden chill. Forest had heard him enter and ran to greet him. Yet at the sight, he carefully sat next to his owner in curiosity, curling into a warm ball of gentle fur at his side. At that moment, it was the only comfort Ian wanted. Not a worried and critical voice to question what had happened; just the presence of silence and affection from a devoted creature.

After lying against the cold tile for an hour, his body no longer capable of producing any more tears, he silently walked down the hall towards the bathroom and prepared for a shower. Without noticing it, he had placed himself in front of a mirror that was planted against a wall. He caught sight of his naked frame. His skin was slowly forming light marks and scars from the encounter. His arms reddened in spots from where Blake had bit him roughly, his chest was covered in scratches, and his wrists where forming horrid bruises from being tied.

Not able to take the look of his own body, he quickly made his way into the shower, taking soap into his hands as he tried to wash away everything, his hands coarsely scrubbing the bar against his skin as he tried to get rid of every single mark. As his blue eyes gazed over each scar, his mind raced back to each tormenting scene, playing them repeatedly in his head, no matter how much he wanted to forget them.

This followed him into bed, eyes staring coldly at the ceiling above him. The cries that he made, the sounds of Blake actually enjoying himself echoed, even though nothing within the walls of his own bedroom to cause it. He didn't even notice that he had begun breathing roughly until his chest burned from lack of air. Clawing open his nightstand, he reached in to grab an inhaler and sat up in bed, pressing the small device several times as he inhaled quickly. As he could feel his body relaxing from the treatment, new sets of tears were beginning to threaten his eyes. He didn't get any sleep.

He was amazed that he had gotten up for school that morning. He almost asked to skip, but he wasn't sure what to tell his mother the next morning. She wasn't awake to see him out, as she didn't return home until very late the previous evening. He didn't want to risk staying home and her catching sight of him in bed. How would he explain the incident to her? Hell, did he even want to tell her? What _could_ her tell her? He knew that if she pressed the issue, which she would, Blake would find some way to get to him and he didn't want to think of the consequences that would be ensued against him.

 _"Remain normal around everyone else, and we won't have any problems."_ The words ran through his head, remembering what Blake had told him afterwards. Appearing normal was impossible in such a state, but keeping his mouth shut wasn't. Ian would just remain silent about everything. If questioned, he would just proclaim that everything was fine. This thought process remained there as he departed his home and made the long trudge towards school.

Once he reached his seat in homeroom, his body almost collapsed into the chair, his bag falling to the floor next to him as he felt his body slowly tense up. Just being near people unsettled him. However, he didn't have to worry about interacting with Blake until two periods later and then again in gym.

 _Gym. I... I can't go to gym._ He thought to himself. The possibility of having to change into clothes in front of everyone in the class horrified him. Blake would see the scars that had been created from his doing, and he knew that Brad would exploit them to his own use. But, the one person he didn't want to see such things was William. Having formed a comfortable friendship with him days ago could prove an issue. William would get him alone and ask him about the markings on his body. He wasn't sure if he could keep silent about everything around him. William made him nervous, both in a positive and negative way. He enjoyed the closeness of someone he admired, but he knew William would want to concern himself with the situation.

What bothered him more was what William would _think_ of him. Would he not believe him if he explained what Blake had done to him? Would he indeed think that Ian was trying to make Blake appear like a horrible human being? Even yet, would he think _less_ of Ian? Would he consider _him_ to the lesser of the two? Just the thought of William seeing him in such a light made him ill and he decided to just avoid him entirely. There was no way he would tell someone he respected fondly such things, no matter how much he wanted to seek help.

But at the sound of a recognizable voice, Ian's body jumped in shock, looking upwards to see a set of familiar hazel eyes staring down at him.

"What?" he stated after a soft gasp, his blue eyes wide from the sudden presence.

"I said 'good morning'..." William stated with a small smile, not expecting such a strange reaction.

Not wanting to appear abnormal, Ian slowly forced a small smile of his own. "Ah... sorry... good morning..." he spoke softly, his gaze averting out towards a window as he couldn't stand seeing those eyes looking over at him.

For once, he didn't want William's gaze to settle on him at all. He wanted to disappear from sight.

-

"I'm trying to understand why you don't want to go to your class." Mr. Anderson stated, his brows knotted together as he gazed down at his student.

"I... can't really do anything in gym class anyway. I'd rather just... try and work on the project that's due in 2 weeks." Ian stated, earnestly but softly. This was the only excuse he could come up with to avoid P.E. While he was sure it wouldn't work any other time than today, it was all he needed to relax and get settled. The incident with Blake was just too recent and the idea of Blake seeing him even half naked petrified him.

About two periods earlier, he had to suffer being in the same classroom as Blake. Luckily, they had assign seats, so he had the opportunity to not be near him. He kept his gaze towards the front of the classroom or out a nearby window, as to not draw attention to himself. He wasn't focused on the class in the slightest, as he was too busy trying to keep his breathing normal. At times, he could sense the other male glancing over at him, causing an anxious sensation to rile within his chest. He arrived just a few seconds before the bell sounded for class to start, and exited as fast as he could once it was time to leave. He wanted as little interaction with Blake as possible.

Mr. Anderson was slightly skeptical, thinking that maybe Ian just wanted to avoid gym overall. But, he could tell something was bothering the student, seeing as Ian had never asked him for such a thing before. Considering that he didn't have a class during this period, he assumed that it wouldn't be a problem. "Alright... I'll be in the lounge taking a break, but I'll leave you here alone. I'll trust you not to damage anything while I'm gone. You also realize that you will need to go to gym class tomorrow?" he asked, seeing Ian nodded quickly in response.

"Yes... I'm sorry... thank you." He stated with a soft sigh, incredibly relieved for some form of liberation. He could easily tell Mr. Gonzales that he needed to do extra work on an art assignment and since he couldn't do anything physical to begin with, it would work in both of their favors. "I'll go tell Mr. Gonzales right now... I'll be back in 5 minutes."

"That's fine. I'll wait until you return." Mr. Anderson stated, watching the student leave his office quickly. Resting back into his chair, a hand came up to rest against his chin in confusion. "He seemed... rattled about something..." he spoke to himself quietly, trying to recall a time when he had ever seen Ian in such a state. He couldn't think of one.

-

The fact that Ian wasn't in gym class today raised enough suspicion with not only with Blake and Brad, but William most of all. He had been pondering between classes the sudden lack of communication from his classmate, wondering what could have possibly caused such a distance. As far as he could tell, he didn't say anything the least bit offensive to him. Actually, it had been a while since they had truly interacted. Considering that Blake had pretty much occupied Ian as much as possible, it was hard to actually get him alone. They had moments to chat in class among themselves, but nothing like the time he ventured to Ian's home. It wasn't really enough for William. He wanted it to be more personal.

"Odd that the handicapped kid isn't here..." Brad stated with a smirk as he changed out of his gym clothes. "I could've sworn I saw him moping around earlier."

"Handicapped? _Really,_ Brad?" Blake spoke in slight annoyance, glancing over towards his classmate as he did so. "That's taking it a bit too far."

"Is it?" Brad joked with a snicker. "Ian can't move without gasping like a fish. He can barely do shit. To me, that's handicapped."

Already irritated with Brad's insults, along with the interaction from yesterday, William had little patience towards Brad's antics. Regardless of the story he heard, he still felt that the treatment Brad ensued on Ian was just brutal and unnecessary. But, what he didn't expect was for Blake to be so defensive towards them as well. For not knowing Ian horribly long, Blake appeared to become somewhat attached and this puzzled William even more.

"Dude, cut it out. So, he has a condition. Doesn't mean you should insult and tease him about it." Blake proclaimed as he pulled his uniform shirt onto his shoulders. His tone was inflicting a hint of harshness and this surprised Brad completely, along with William.

"Are... you seriously sticking up for that... cretin?" Brad asked, his voice giving the sound of skepticism. The rest of the locker room was intensely silent as they listened to the conversation. William had actually stopped getting dressed as he watched the whole scene unfold.

Blake looked over to Brad calmly as he buttoned his shirt. "He's not a bad guy, really. He's... pretty laid back and easy to get along with, and talented as well. I honestly don't see why you think he's such a horrible person." Blake declared, the look of building hatred spreading across Brad's face not fazing him whatsoever.

"Blake, you _know_ why he's shit. Don't give me this... nice guy bullshit. How the hell are you going to stick up for that damn faggot?" Brad protested, the anger within him clearly visible to everyone in the room.

Even William couldn't get over the statement that Blake just made. Never would he expect to hear "Pretty Boy" speak such sincere words. He could see just why Ian would latch on to someone like him. He didn't have to second-guess how he felt towards Ian at all, unlike himself. William still hesitated to even defend Ian, let alone come to his aid when he needed it most. While this upset him, it also caused a mountain of guilt to build within him. Blake was something that he wasn't: fearless.

Blake shrugged, unwavering in his viewpoint. "The past is the past. People change, you know." He stated firmly, as he tucked his uniform shirt into his trousers, looking over towards Brad with a complacent expression.

William pieced together quickly that Brad had actually informed Blake about the incident during their childhood. He knew for a fact that Blake lived in a different part of the city during that time, so he had no way of knowing the situation personally. It made him wonder just how many people Brad told this story to, as well as how solid it was. This made him reconsider Brad's stance; it could be quite possible that Ian was innocent in the kiss between him and Jake. There was still much more to that story that needed to be told.

But, his thought process was interrupted at the sound of a locker slamming shut. Brad gathered all of his belongings, before he stormed past Blake, bumping his shoulder roughly as he did so. "You can go _fuck_ yourself..." Brad stated harshly as he exited the locker room, kicking the door open with his foot before he departed. As if the conversation had never happened, Blake continued getting dressed without any complications, ignoring the ongoing stares and soft whispers that soon began to travel around the room.

Even William had to admit that he was impressed. No one, beside himself, had ever questioned Brad's heartless stance towards Ian, let alone actually defend him in the process. Slowly, a deeper jealousy had begun to form. He was not fond of someone actually developing a close attachment to Ian when he didn't even have the opportunity to do so. The friendship was there, but it wasn't as strong as it appeared to be with Blake. That familiar feeling, the painful prick in his chest was slowly starting to resurface the more he thought about it. Before he actually caused another scene in the locker room, he grabbed his own things and calmly made his way out of the room.

Besides the ongoing complication between Blake and Ian, William was trying to figure out just what had happened to Ian in regards to his absence at gym. It was quite possible that he had went home for the day, but he didn't remember Ian being ill at all. He was a bit distant and more quiet than normal, but not sick. There was one place that he could check before he departed for training. His footsteps were soon guiding him towards the creative arts building. 

-

A/N

Hello,

Thanks for reading my story. This is my first time actually posting on AO3, as I'm usually a lurker around here. I figured that since we're already at the 10th chapter, I should probably give a quick greeting and expression of gratitude. I sincerely appreciate the kudos with each chapter, as it truly means a lot. While I know this story is a bit of a slow burn, I can promise it will be worth the long haul. Also, don't be shy. Please feel free to post a comment if you'd like. I'm always welcome for a chat or a question. 

I do hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and that my story is providing a bit of an escape from it all. Take care and see you next week. 


	11. Chapter 11

For the first time in years, he can't paint. Each time he reached over to grab the brush, his hand would shake madly. The painting was in the drafting stages, having sketched an outline of an image onto the canvas a few days ago. Yet, Ian could not actually find the tolerance to paint it. Even in the solitude of the art room, for at least another 15 minutes, he could not build up the strength to put color to the canvas. He had been sitting in the same seat for an hour, contemplating on what color scheme to use and what to mix. But his body would not allow him to steady his fingers.

Ian covered his face with his hands as he gave a quivered sigh, trying to calm himself. If he wasn't able to do the assignment in class in the next 25 minutes, Mr. Anderson would question him in regards to his behavior. The fact that he was so shaken, to the point of not being able to use his only release for stress, proved to him that he should've stayed within the comfort of his home. There was no way he could actually function at school. Would he ever be able to again? He would have to see Blake, whether he wanted to or not. They were in two classes together and he was quite sure that Blake would invite him over again. Just the thought of being in Blake's bedroom almost made him want to vomit from panic.

Pushing the unnerving thoughts aside, he reached for the paintbrush once again, finally taking it into his hands as he stared up at the canvas. Even with a firm grip, his hand still shook lightly. Placing the bristles into a mixture of grey paint, his arm extended towards a blank section, focusing all of his attention on this one area as he tried to block everything else out.

But at the sound of the door opening behind him, Ian jumped in surprise, causing the brush to go flying out of his hand and onto the floor. He quickly turned to see who was entering the classroom, assuming that it was Mr. Anderson returning from his break. However, to his amazement, it was William.

William stood in the doorway cautiously as he watched Ian stare at him in surprise. Before he even entered the room, he observed the student's attempt in trying to paint and could easily see that he was having some form of difficulty. Why he was, William wasn't sure. But, this just peeked his concern in relation to his absence from gym class. "Hey... Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you..." he stated gently, as he could see a rather unsettled expression on Ian's face.

Ian was still trying to figure out just why William was there. He knew for a fact that gym class wasn't over just yet. They took time to get dressed before the bell rang for final period, but there was no way that William could've made it over to the building that quickly. At least, he didn't think so. His blue eyes scanned over William in suspicion, before he carefully got to his feet to pick up the paintbrush. "It's... alright..." he spoke softly, a polite smile appearing on his face as he tried to relax, knowing that William wasn't a threat to him at all. This still didn't stop his mind from producing horrible scenarios at the idea of him being alone with another male. "What... did you need? Are you here to see your uncle?" he asked, placing the brush down onto a table.

William didn't know how to answer that question. He could tell that Ian is edgy and skeptical of his visit, but he could not think of a way to clear that doubt. He knew exactly why he came over, but can't form the words to state that without seeming odd. But, what bothered him as he entered the room was the fact that Ian would even think of William making him uncomfortable to begin with. Something was wrong with the Ian and it was obvious to see, at least in William's eyes. Never had he seen Ian be so reserved and unstable before, even with complete strangers. He could be bashful and suspicious, but never fearful. "I was... wondering how the sketch you drew of me was coming along. Did he ever critique it?" he asked, that seeming to be the only plausible excuse he could create.

Placing his hands into his pockets, as if to hide the shaking from anyone else's eyesight, Ian gave a slight shrug. "No, sorry... I guess he's a bit busy with other assignments. I'm sure he'll tell us sometime this week..." he spoke softly, trying to appear as calm and normal as possible. But, even he could tell that this wasn't a solid reason for trekking all the way over from gym class. This was something William could've asked him during class the next day. He could've sent him a text message. Why William would make the effort to come here when he had to be in training soon was making Ian rather uncomfortable, even if he knew William wouldn't do anything to him.

But just being in a room with someone else, alone, terrified Ian to his core. He protested against his mind to stop the anxiousness, but he felt horribly uncomfortable in front of William. He felt tainted and couldn't help but wonder if William could sense it emitting from his body. Not wanting to be near him, not wanting William to even look at him, Ian was soon thinking of a way to get him out of the room. "Is... there anything else you need?" he asked, his body slowly tensing as he spoke.

An expression of confusion crossed William's face; surprised that Ian would be rushing him out of the room. Not sure of what to do next, figuring that he couldn't stall on why he was honestly here any longer, William soon shrugged, his lips twisting slightly before he spoke. "I... well... you weren't in gym class." He stated, staring at Ian before he continued. "I... had a feeling you may be in here... but... I'm just wondering why. Is everything... alright?" he finally asked, his voice filled with concern.

Ian couldn't help but be amazed, not expecting William to take the time in-between classes to search for him, let alone come and ask him if he was ok. But, this also made him guarded, wondering if there was some unknown reason for him to be seeking him out. _William wouldn't do anything to me..._ He kept telling himself, trying to erase the doubt from his mind, but it continued to linger there, as he tried to think of a cover up of his own. "Yeah..." he forced out, before clearing his throat. "I'm fine. I'm... just not feeling well, so I asked if I could just come here and work."

"Really?" William asked, still not content with the answer. "Is it your asthma or something else?" he questioned, still rather troubled.

"Um... yeah... I'm just... having some trouble breathing, that's all..." Ian spoke hesitantly, knowing that he was reaching a breaking point in patience. He didn't want to make a scene in this room, not with William. The statement that Blake had made began repeating in his head as he tried to keep himself calm, averting his gaze elsewhere as he soon began to feel his chest slowly heat up from the lack of air. _God... no... I don't need this right now..._ He objected, as he could notice his breath beginning to roughen.

"Ian... are you ok?" William asked, seeing the mixture of emotions come and go on Ian's face. He reached out to place a hand on his classmates shoulder, as if to shake him from his dazed state, only to be met with such reluctance, it shocked him.

Without thinking, Ian pushed William away from him in such a forceful manner that he soon found himself against a nearby wall, staring back at him in utter terror. He was visibly shaking at this point, pressing his back against the wall as he tried to keep a distance. "You... you need to leave..." he stated in-between soft breaths, his eyes watching each movement William made carefully.

William's eyes widened in bewilderment; this act, this sudden resistance that he was just shown, was enough to raise even more suspicion that something was terribly wrong with Ian. He had never seen him act this way, especially not towards him. "What... the hell is wrong?" he asked, his voice a mixture of worry and anger. He took another step towards Ian, only to see him tense horribly.

"Please... just go..." Ian protested, his voice shaking as he did so. Just the sudden contact was enough to break him completely. It didn't matter who it was at this point. Even William didn't appear safe to be around anymore. No one did.

"No. Tell me what's wrong." William demanded, the patience in his voice beginning to slip away. At this point, he had no idea what was going on. Every possible interaction between Ian and himself ran through his head as he tried to figure out just what he could've done to receive such treatment. "You need to tell me... what the problem is."

"What for?" Ian stammered, his expression a mix of fear and anger. At this point, no one needed to question his request. He just wanted to be alone. He trusted no one and he sure as hell didn't want to be in an empty classroom with another male. "Why the hell are you so concerned anyway? Are you expecting something from me too?" he asked, seeing William stare back at him in confusion. That wasn't enough of an answer for him, before he averted his gaze to the floor, his hands forming into tight fists. "It's none of you damn business... just _fucking_ leave."

That was all William could tolerate. Without a second thought, a fist was soon slammed against the same wall that Ian was up against, just inches from Ian's head. His hazel eyes watched Ian jump in fear and tense even more, his shoulders practically level with the base of his neck. Leaning in as close as possible to Ian's face, without touching him at all, William trapped the other male between both of his arms. Whether Ian wanted to or not, his eyes were completely level with William's. Ian could easily make out the assortment of colors in those orbs, the mixture of green and brown in William's iris.

"Ian..." William spoke, his voice low and steady. "I... can't just ignore you and walk away when there is obviously _something_... wrong with you." He proclaimed, Ian continuing to stare back at him in silence. "For some reason... I can't idly stand by and watch anyone be... unsettled, especially someone I care about."

"What... what do you mean?" Ian asked, his voice barely audible. It was easy to recognize the mixture of fear and nervousness in his tone, his body immobile as he was solidly placed against the wall, gazing into William's structured face as he did so.

 _I'm fucking infatuated with you._ William's mind urged him to finally confess, to let out all the bottled up emotion that had been trapped within him. The stinging pressure that rested in his heart was so strong that he almost wanted to scream it as loudly as possible, as if to make it perfectly clear to not only Ian, but to himself as well. But, something was stopping him. Doubt? Uncertainty? He didn't know and he didn't want to state such a thing without being completely sure of himself. "I... I looked in your sketchbook."

The color from Ian's face had drained rather quickly as the words echoed in his ears. His heart had almost stopped beating at the pure revelation of it. _He.... He knows...._ He couldn't even process a full sentence within his own mind as he tried to fathom just why William would lie to him about it, or why he wasn't even remotely upset with him. Any other person would've taunted and tortured him relentlessly. But, to his surprise, William was calm and collected.

"It doesn't bother me." William stated firmly as he watched Ian's facial expression. He could tell that Ian's mind was racking over the reasons and possibilities. Honestly, he wasn't sure just why this didn't make him uncomfortable. But, at the same time, he didn't care. "Look... Maybe you don't notice, but... I do the same thing..." he proclaimed, seeing a look of confusion spread across Ian's face. "I mean... I watch you, Ian. I've been watching for you a while now. I don't know why." He quickly added, as he observed the other's expression change drastically once again.

"Honestly, I'm pretty damn flattered..." he said, a small smile not helping but to appear on his lips. "And... one day... I would like to understand... why you use me for your sketches." It was something that had been bothering him for days after he had discovered the book, but had been too nervous and hesitant to ask because of the unknown reaction he would get from Ian. Instead of keeping it inside, he decided to finally tell him openly, to reassure Ian that it wasn't a disgusting act.

"I'm... still trying to figure these... thoughts out." William stated, his voice still calm and comforting. "But... right now... I do know that... I feel as if you are someone worth protecting and... I really want to make sure that nothing harms you. No matter what."

Those words were enough to ease the unsettled agitation within Ian completely, his expression softening slowly as he listened to William make such a bold statement. _He... wants to protect me...?_ Even though he didn't want to believe it, he couldn't ignore it. The same person that he had been admiring for such a long time, had just stated that he cared so deeply for him that he was willing to protect him without hesitation.

"But..." William stated, breaking the analyzing thoughts of Ian's quickly. "I don't think... you really want me to do that. I... I'm not sure what you want, really." He spoke, his eyes searching the blue spheres of Ian's eyes as if looking for an answer. "So... until you realize that, until you fully accept and actually want me to do so...I won't watch or concern myself with you anymore. You need to come to me."

As painful as it was to state such a demand, and as much as he knew that he didn't want to give Ian the choice to do so, William felt that it was necessary to help him understand his own emotions. Instead of expecting Ian to seek his assistance, to ask for his help and continue to watch him from afar without him asking let alone knowing it, William wanted Ian to make the decision on his own. This constant wanting that William was longing for was driving him insane. The unsettled jealously and nerve-racking emotions that he was feeling was making him eager to do unspeakable things to Ian, and that was something that he didn't want. Instead of risking the small relationship he had by doing something regrettable, he would let Ian make the choice. Either fully allow him into his life, or tell William to back off completely.

With that, he pushed himself away from the wall, his gaze averting from Ian's entirely, before he grabbed his book bag and departed the room without a break in his stride.

Ian watched William leave the room in silence, his mouth sealed shut as he tried to come back to life. His knees soon buckled and he found himself sliding to the floor slowly. When he reached the tile, he took a sharp inhale of breath as he tried to fight back tears. His hands were soon grasping the strands of his blonde hair tightly, his eyes scanning the floor below him as if seeking out a solution. But, it didn't take him long to figure it out.

_I... I'm in love with him... aren't I?_

-

**A/N**

After a bit of a break from last week, the next chapter of Secret Admirer is up, and we finally see some admittance of feelings between William and Ian. 

As for my disappearance, I felt that I was in need of a mental break, considering everything that is happening here in the US, as that is where I reside. Between the horrid news of police brutality, protests, and still having to be cautious due to the pandemic, I needed a bit of time to regroup, recover and rest. I do indeed hope everyone is taking care of themselves, as well as being aware and active, if possible.

Enjoy the chapter this week, be safe and healthy. As always, thanks for the kudos and feedback. See you next week. 


	12. Chapter 12

Being on his knees was a rather uncomfortable feeling, the carpet rubbing against his kneecaps roughly as he tried to adjust to such a position, considering that he had no self-control whatsoever. Once again, he found his hands bound against their will but this time, his ankles were in the same predicament. A part of him wondered, through the fear and torture, just how Blake came up with these distasteful ideas. What also amazed him was how he found new ways to keep him under control.

"I think that's a _perfect_ spot..." Blake stated softly, an amused smirk planted on his face. It took a lot of time for him to work Ian into the position he was in. Three weeks had passed and he still had to wrestle Ian to have him submit to his requests. He assumed after a while of rough treatment, bruises and threats, the other male would just accept defeat. But each time they were together, in the bedroom of his home, Blake had to pin and silence Ian completely before they could get anything done. He was like a stubborn mule. But, it was worth it just to finally get Ian to do everything he could ask for. Well, almost everything.

"So... We're going to work on blowjobs today." Blake stated calmly as he stared down towards his shaken classmate whom was settled in-between his legs. He sat on the edge of his bed, quietly gazing over Ian in fascination. He had finally gotten his trousers and boxers removed after a quick push onto the floor, with a slight choke hold being needed as he tied his ankles together with rope from the garage he had gathered long before Ian arrived.

While the other male was hard to handle, he was still amazed that Ian obeyed his requests to come over without hesitation. It was a struggle after their first encounter to even get Ian alone. He avoided Blake for a good 3 days, until he found himself trapped in an empty bathroom with nowhere to hide. After a few subtle threats Ian began to follow his orders, save for the sexual acts. He left Ian's uniform shirt on, as he eventually had to tie Ian's wrists once again to keep him from wrestling away. But, it was unbuttoned, allowing him to see the other male's torso.

"You still... _refuse_ to enjoy it, and honestly... It makes it difficult for me to actually appreciate it myself." Blake proclaimed, leaning down slightly to get a closer look at Ian's face.

Keeping his gaze to the floor beneath him, Ian chose not to respond to Blake's statement. He knew he wasn't doing what he was asked, and he wasn't going to for as long as he could. For the past several encounters, Blake had been pleasuring him in an unwelcoming way. But, very recently, he wanted more. The first time his classmate had even put his fully erect cock in his face, Ian shouted out in protest without hesitation, almost ready to bite Blake if he came any closer. That of course made Blake rather unhappy, taking a moment to show it with some force. He eventually got it into his mouth, but not without choking Ian in the process.

He felt fingers carefully comb through his hair, a slight quiver of fear traveling through him, before he felt them tighten and grasp tightly, causing him to cry out softly in pain. He was pulled forward and placed directly in front of Blake's semi-attentive cock by the strands of his head.

"So, instead of me _making_ you suck me off, you're going to do it on your own accord today." Blake stated, the tone of his voice very firm as he spoke.

Ian's eyes shot up quickly in defense. There was no way in _hell_ he was going to do such a thing. "I...I won't..." he forced out softly, shaking his head slightly against Blake's grip.

"That's not a good answer." Blake spoke roughly, pulling the strands again until he heard Ian cry out once more. "Either you do it, or I'll do something even more unpleasant to you. Of course, I like the idea of shoving my cock into your ass... but I get the feeling you aren't ready for that _yet._ "

That was enough to wipe the protesting look off of Ian's face. Just the idea of Blake doing such a thing shut him up. Seeing that Ian was now in agreement, Blake released the grip on the other male's hair slowly before he inched his cock closer to the boy's face. "Just do what we discussed last time and we won't have any issues." He spoke with a smile, his eyes resting on Ian completely.

His body refused to stop shaking. This is something he _desperately_ did not want to do. Even when he had been forced to do it, Ian still showed resentment. His mind contemplated several ways to make Blake change his mind, thinking that maybe he had some empathy left within him. "I... I don't know what to do... It will be horrible either way..." he stammered, gazing up towards Blake as he spoke.

"Well... You should know what to start off with." Blake stated, grabbing hold of Ian's chin and pressing a thumb against his lips. He pressed the tip of his finger against the slit of his mouth until he forced it open, carefully hooking Ian's bottom set of teeth with his thumb and pulling him closer until his cock was close enough to feel the labored breaths escaping from Ian's mouth. "Put it in."

With a light whimper of defeat, tears threatening to sting his eyes, Ian opened his mouth fully, closing his eyes to block the sight completely before he felt the head slowly slide against his tongue. Just the feel of it in his mouth made him want to force it back out, but he knew better than to do that. He paused once the shaft had been placed firmly into his mouth, not sure if he should continue further.

"Keep going...." Blake stated softly, watching the whole scene intently.

Ian actually shook in disgust. The taste of a familiar white liquid had actually seeped out from the tip, landing on his tongue slowly. It was quite bitter and the smell was enough to make his stomach turn. He held back the tears that were still forming in his eyes as he finally took the whole thing into his mouth.

"That's perfect..." Blake stated with a pleased smile, leaning back onto his forearms as he stared longingly at the scene beneath him. "Now, just wrap your lips around it like I instructed before... and then _move...."_

A soft sigh of loss actually came from Ian at the instructions, doing as told and tightening his mouth around Blake's cock completely. He slowly pulled back, his tongue and lips gently moving against the skin. The wet warmth from his mouth was enough to cover the whole cock in saliva once he released it completely, a soft gasp coming not too long after.

"Alright, Ian..." Blake spoke, quite content. "I want you to do that... but I want you to use your hands." Reaching down to grab hold of the rope binding Ian's wrists, Blake untied it carefully, allowing Ian's hands to be freed. "I want you to get off in front of me _while_ you give me a blowjob."

If his eyes could've widened more, Ian may not have been able to blink in disbelief afterwards. It wasn't as if he hadn't done it before. Every teenage male had the urge to release some sexual tension after puberty. But, he had _never_ done it in front of another person. To him, it was a private act and not for anyone else to view.

Blake saw the uncertainty in Ian's eyes and he narrowed his own. "Don't even _think_ of doing anything to break away. You can't get far with your ankles tied together." He proclaimed, his tone sharp. "Try and think of something else while you suck me off and pleasure yourself in the process."

Reaching up to take Ian's head into his hands, Blake forced Ian's mouth back onto his cock, the familiar warmth causing him to harden slightly, a soft groan escaping him.

A slight hesitance followed with that act, Ian letting out a soft cry of protest before he covered his mouth around the other male's cock completely once again, feeling pressure against his head to pull back and to repeat the process. After a while of forceful direction, he felt the grip around his head slowly disappear as he kept a consistent pace, trying to block the ordeal out of his head. This was the last thing he wanted to experience. He wasn't sure if he was going to make it through it or not. He may be crazy enough to take a chance and just fight Blake again, but he didn't like the idea of receiving more bruises.

While Blake had never harmed Ian's face, he didn't hesitate to bite or scratch the rest of Ian's body. Luckily, with the weather turning cold, he could wear a long-sleeved shirt under his uniform to hide the scars. The last thing he needed was for someone to see his bruises.

"I don't see you jerking off yet..." Blake stated in a passing manner, soft pants escaping him as he spoke.

Keeping his eyes closed once more, Ian reached between his legs to take hold of his placid cock, not sure if he could actually become hard while doing this. A distraction was needed if he wanted to do as instructed without facing repercussions. Nothing was coming to mind as he slowly began to stroke. Lucky for him, his hand was caked with sweat from their earlier scuffle and nervousness, so the moves came somewhat easily.

Art was something he did _not_ to associate with this instance, so that topic was off limits. Homework didn't work to cloud his thoughts. His mind was drawing a blank as he tried to think of _something_ to keep his mind off this forced blowjob. However, an image came to mind that had slowly overtook his consciousness.

His last interaction with William was still something that loomed in the back of his mind, even amidst all the torturous antics Blake had imposed on him. William had indeed not spoken to him such their time in the art room. He didn't even acknowledge his presence. It was almost as if he wasn't there, not being captured in those beautiful hazel eyes. The closeness of that occasion, William's face near his own as their eyes locked, was something that he thought about in solitude. It was the only thing keeping him remotely sane.

In a normal state of mind, Ian would've drawn such a thing on paper, as to not forget it. But his mind remembered each detail vividly; the smell of William emitted, his ebony hair resting on the side of his head as a few strands had almost touched his own cheeks, the warmth of the other male's body being so close to him. Never in a million years would he have thought of having William so intimate with him.

He didn't notice it at first, but he felt his own cock stiffen in his hand, surprising him completely as he continued stroking against it. Instead of it being uncomfortable and undesirable, it was stimulating and pleasurable. Thinking that this may have been the distraction he needed, he tried to focus all of his energy on that one instance in time.

The fact that William had been ignoring him had caused a pain to build up inside him, not sure how to take the sudden rejection of interaction. But that last encounter was a rather eventful one that was enough to stay planted in his sub consciousness. He could still picture the distinct structure of William's face, the welcoming softness of his lips and the intense emotion in his eyes. He wondered what he would've done if William had actually taken the chance to place those lips against his own.

That visual image crossed his mind and he couldn't help but moan softly in pleasure at the thought, seeming to have tuned his surroundings out completely. He barely heard the soft groans of gratification coming from Blake above him as his mind was too focused on a fantasy that was being created for him instead. He knew he would've broken down completely if William had kissed him without any hesitation, the kisses turning into a full-fledged make-out session not too long after. Just the thought of William's tongue in his mouth actually sent a wave of heat through his body, causing his own cock to harden once again. The strokes against his hand were moving more rapidly over time, a single stream of pre-cum escaping from the tip and falling onto the carpet beneath him.

He wouldn't have mind if William had pinned him to the wall and pressed his body against him, wanting to feel just how muscular he really was underneath his uniform. He wouldn't be able to hold himself back from reaching out and taking those black strands into his hands, lightly tugging the other male's hair as he longed to grab hold onto something after such intense contact.

Too busy within his own illusion; Ian didn't realize that his mouth had been working in an amazing way against Blake's cock, the other male's hips actually thrusting up slightly with each movement. The soft groans of before had soon turned into low moans of pleasure, Blake's vision slightly blurred as he attempted to watch Ian work his tongue against the head of his cock. "G-God.... _Ian_..." he groaned out in shock, not expecting Ian to actually do this _well_. His hands found their way to the other male's head once again, grasping onto the strands in a gentle, passionate manner, as if to urge him to continue further. "Suck harder...."

To Ian, it wasn't Blake speaking to him in such a lustful manner, but _William_ instead. His fantasy had progressed further, finding himself on his knees in that same classroom, except William was the one pinned against the wall, his hands grasping onto Ian's head as he stared down intently to watch Ian's mouth do such amazing work against his stiff cock. Having never seen it, Ian could only imagine would it would be like.

It didn't matter at this point, as the vision was enough to keep him entertained for now. He was close to his own orgasm, having completely forgotten where he was and what exactly he was doing in reality, each stroke from his own hand sending waves of fire up his spine. He moaned roughly against the cock in his mouth, hearing jagged gasps and moans echoing in his ears as he used the inside of his cheeks to apply a sucking pressure.

His own hips thrust quickly before he finally felt a warm liquid covering his fingers, a muffled cry escaping him at the intense, burning feeling that followed right after as he continued his relentless sucking against the now fully erect cock in his mouth. Each movement and noise Blake made was replaced with William doing the same in his fantasy, almost urging him to finish in his mouth. He used his tongue to rub the head roughly, before he soon heard a low, sensual groan pass through his ears. But, the sudden cum that had been shot into his mouth brought him back to reality.

His eyes flew open in surprise, moving halfway through the ejaculation at the taste. This was quite familiar and unwelcome, breaking his mental escape by pulling away from Blake's cock completely, the rest of the cum spilling onto his chest in a rushed manner. He gasped in a shaken shock, almost lost and confused on what just happened. He glanced up towards Blake as his mind slowly pieced together what he had gone through.

Instead of the odd taste in his mouth occupying his current thoughts, the fact that he had just fantasized about William in such a way surprised him more. However, a part of him didn't regret it. Actually, it almost appeared natural. Every image came smoothly and aroused him in such an unfamiliar way, that he wasn't sure how to take it.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Blake asked, his voice hoarse as he gazed down at Ian with clouded eyes, amazed but just as confused. He wasn't displeased in the slightest and it could be seen on his face. But, it still puzzled him just the same. The fact that Ian had refused to even do something for him in the beginning, but then turned around and gave him the best blowjob he had ever gotten shocked him overall.

Ian's blue eyes gazed up towards Blake, empty, his mind completely blank.

"I.... I don't know..."

-

_A/N_

_I hope everyone is having a good start to the week._

_I also wanted to give a small update. In about 2 weeks, I will be moving to a new area. During the week of my move, I won’t be providing an update, as I’d like to take the time to focus and get settled into my new place. Also, considering what’s happening in the US, I could use a small vacation, as things have been very emotionally and mentally taxing for me personally. After that, I'll be back on regular posting routine._

_Be safe and healthy, everyone. See you next week._


	13. Chapter 13

"So, what's this I hear about a party?" Brad asks, taking a seat at a nearby desk not too long after.

"News got around fast. I don't know why, considering that I'm only inviting a select amount of people." Blake spoke with a light laugh. "But yeah, I'm having a party at my place this weekend."

"What's the occasion? Birthday or something?" Brad questioned, quite interested.

"Parents are going out of town on business. They'll be heading out Friday night and won't be back until Sunday evening. I don't have to go, even though California sounds pretty nice right now." Blake proclaimed.

"I forgot that your dad owns an architectural firm. Makes sense for them to travel a bit." Brad added, seeing Blake nod slightly. "So, what day is this party?"

"Ah, you see, I'm not mentioning which day it is. I'm passing out invitations. I don't want a bunch of random people showing up at my house trying to crash it." Blake stated with a smile.

"Then where the hell is my invitation?" Brad spoke with a laugh, seeing Blake do the same.

"Relax. I slid it in your locker on the way here. I'm trying to make this as discreet as possible." Brad spoke, resting back into his seat.

"Is Shelia invited?" Brad asked, wondering if Blake had forgotten his girlfriend in the process.

"I gave your sexy girlfriend her invitation personally." Blake stated with a smirk, Brad leaning over to punch his classmate in the arm jokingly.

"Lay off my girl, dude." Brad threatened, in a friendly manner. "The last thing I need is for her to be snatched away by someone I'm cool with."

"I'd never do that." Blake declared, proudly. "Nothing to worry about."

"Who else is coming, if it's cool to ask?" Brad interjected, a bit too curious about this invitation list.

"Just off the top of my head... Luke, Mark, about 6 guys from the tennis team, Shelia, you... I think I asked a few of the cheerleaders to come as well, just to even the ratio of guys to girls..." he stated, seeing Brad nod in understanding. "William..."

"Livingston?" Brad stated in shock, his face showing the same reaction.

"Yeah, why not?" Blake asked, actually confused.

"Mr. White Knight? Seriously, he'll be the only responsible one there. He's like... a damn parent." Brad spoke with a scoff.

"Will is pretty laid-back. He's not that innocent. I've heard a few things from the boys on the soccer team." Blake stated with a shrug.

"As long as Ian's not there, then William will be cool to be around." Brad proclaimed in irritation, seeing a puzzled expression on Blake's face. "Nothing big... He's just being his 'moral' self when it comes to that..." Brad trailed off, forgetting that Blake didn't particularly care for the insults towards Ian as well. "Never mind... He just doesn't like it when I mess with Ian, like you."

"Really?" Blake asked, surprised. "I didn't think he actually cared for Ian one way or the other."

"I told him about... the incident..." Brad spoke softly, not wanting to draw attention. "He honestly didn't know about it."

"Huh... I figured everyone knew." Blake stated.

"Like I said, Mr. White Knight is like an adult. He keeps to himself and stays out of anyone else's business, unless he doesn't like the way they're treated." Brad stated with a smirk.

"Well, Ian will be there, but I'm sure there will be nothing to worry about..." Blake proclaimed, checking to make sure Brad didn't try anything.

"I'll back off the little princess..." Brad stated with a laugh, his hands going up in defense. "I'm there to party, not cause a scene."

"That's all I'm asking for." Blake stated with a smile.

-

Patience was something that William normally had, considering that he had a younger sister and she was rather bouncy and energetic to be around. But when it came to Ian, he felt that he would break any moment. He kept his word and had not interacted with his classmate since their last encounter in his uncle's classroom. Even during the classes they had together, he kept a strong distance. What bothered him about this ordeal was that Ian was doing the same. 3 weeks had gone by, well into the first week of November and Ian still didn't come to him afterwards.

At this point, he was beginning to conclude that Ian really didn't want anything to do with him overall. But, something in his gut was telling him that wasn't the case.

I shouldn't have approached him like that. He would often think to himself, regretting the forward advance he had made. What else could he have done? Ian was non-responsive and detached, which was something he never got an answer on. William felt that he needed to shaken Ian just a bit; to make him realize that the emotions that they were both feeling were out of the ordinary. But at the option of a choice, he was starting to think that maybe Ian had thought twice about his feelings and decided to ignore them completely.

Shuffling through his locker, William was preparing to head to his history class, trying to preoccupy his mind with something else.

"Hey, Will." A voice stated to his left, a body leaning against a nearby locker.

Looking over to see whom this stranger was, William glanced over in surprise. "Blake...." He stated casually, seeing the other male leaning against the set of lockers calmly. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Blake stated coolly, a shrug following after. "Just seeing what you were up to this weekend."

Closing his locker door with a slight slam, William began to place his books into his bag. "I'm not sure. I'll have to look at my calendar and see." He responded, appearing to seem disinterested.

"Really? Geez, you're responsible." Blake stated with a baffled laugh, but respected his classmate's maturity. "I'm having a party and just wanted to extend an invitation."

William was well aware of the news circulating around the school about a house party at "Pretty Boy's" home. However, he didn't expect to receive an actual invitation to the hyped event. "Well, depends on the day. I may have to babysit my litter sister this weekend." William stated, of course lying completely. He was actually free for once to do as he pleased this weekend. His parents would actually be at home instead of out at social gatherings.

"I guess that's the problem with having elite parents." Blake stated with a sigh, nodding in understanding.

"Yeah... Couldn't have asked for a better dad, though." William spoke with a small smile. "Nothing like having a lawyer for a father."

"I'm sure your arguments are very logical and sound." Blake stated, seeing William laugh.

"Give me a sec... We have a shared calendar, so I can check..." William stated, pulling out his smartphone to bring up his schedule.

"Man, your family is interesting." Blake stated, amazed at such a tight-knit household as he saw William shrug, watching him gaze through his phone carefully. "Well, hopefully you can come. I invited some people from the soccer team as well. A few cheerleaders, so plenty of girls." Blake added, seeing William smile at the mention of females attending in large numbers. "Brad and his group are tagging along as well."

William almost wanted to shut off his phone immediately at the mention of Brad attending, not sure if he can tolerate two obnoxious people being in the same house at the same time. He also wasn't in the mood to be around a bunch of half-drunk, promiscuous girls either. He was too busy trying to figure out his own sexual frustrations with Ian. The last thing he needed was to have a girl trying to do the same with him.

"Ian is coming as well. I think he needs to socialize a bit more." Blake stated, his eyes planted on William carefully.

William's thumb actually paused in its movement against the screen of his phone, his eyes staring off towards nothing in particular. He had become distracted at the mention of Ian actually attending this party. He was amazed, never thinking that his classmate would step foot into an area where so many people could antagonize him. But, considering that they hadn't interacted with each other at all for almost a month, the building desire to see Ian in a different environment overtook him immediately.

"Huh..." William stated with a smile, holding up his phone towards Blake to show his calendar. "Looks like I'm actually free for once."

"Awesome." Blake stated, handing William a sealed envelope. "Glad you can make it, Will. I'm sure you'll have a great time." Blake promised, a pleased smile not helping but to come to his face.

-

One period that he hoped to have to himself would be lunch. He was at least spared during this time of the day to enjoy his meal in peace. However, while he was quietly sitting at a table in the cafeteria, he felt the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket. Rather surprised that someone would be sending him a text message at this time of the day, Ian reached into his trouser pocket and took out the phone carefully to view the screen.

"Meet me in the restroom at the east wing in the next 10 minutes. Do not be late." An expression mixed with fear and anxiety crossed his face, seeing that it was from Blake. He could tell by the words used that his classmate was very temperamental and unnerved by something. But, for the first time ever, he wouldn't know why.

As far as Ian knew, he had yet to do anything wrong in the past week. Even their last meeting had yet to unsettle him like any other time. He was still trying to piece together the stimulating fantasy involving William that had occurred during their last sexual event. Every time he thought about it, a warm sensation built up in the pit of his stomach. It was even worse when William crossed his vision during school. He had to distract himself completely with less interesting thoughts as to not allow his mind to create new erotic images involving the two of them together, and it was a hard task to do.

Seeming to have lost his appetite completely, Ian got to his feet and made his way over towards a nearby trash bin to depose of his half-eaten meal. Maybe he... just wants to talk... Ian thought to himself, thinking that there was no way Blake would try anything on school grounds. It was too high of a risk. Ian had enough sense to know that Blake wouldn't jeopardize his reputation with the chance of being caught. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if Blake would be bold enough to do just that, considering everything else he had done to him. Having placed his now empty tray on top of the trashcan, Ian made his way out of the cafeteria and out a set of double doors towards the east wing building.

-  
 _A/N_

_Apologizes for the delay in posting this week's update. Prepping for my move this weekend has caused me to be a bit off course with my routine. As mentioned last week, there will not be an update next week due to my move and a small vacation. Things will pick back up on July 6th._

_Stay safe everyone and have a good week. See you then._


	14. Chapter 14

The heavy, wooden door was pushed open with his body weight, a soft grunt sounding from him as he walked into the deserted restroom. The door slowly closed behind him, the soft thud of it hitting the doorframe making him glance over his shoulder before he continued his walk into the empty lavatory. He pulled out his cellphone to look at the time, figuring that he couldn't have been late. It was a trek to get over here, but Ian didn't want to deal with getting abused for being a minute later.

His mind ran through the possible scenarios of why he was called here, wondering if he had done something wrong. As his brain calculated several possible issues, his eyes caught a reflection of themselves in a mirror. It had been a while since he had looked at himself carefully. Even he could make out the distress on his face, the nervousness being shown in his hands as they shook slightly. _I look... a wreck..._ Not able to stand the view any longer, he averted his gaze elsewhere, his blue eyes darting about the restroom carefully. A slow stride towards the stalls soon started; examining them closely as his mind gave him the idea that Blake could be hiding in one of them, just to terrify him more.

But that was soon proven false as he heard the restroom door fly open and land against a nearby wall loudly, causing him to jump and turn around in surprise.

"Huh... You beat me here... Impressive." Blake stated with a smile, seeming to be rather calm.

Ian wasn't sure how to respond to that comment, standing in place as he started back at the other male with a rather perplexed gaze.

"Don't worry... I'm not dumb enough to release my tension with you here... too much possibility of being caught." Blake stated with a light laugh, lifting a hand as if to promise his decision.

 _That still doesn't stop me from being skeptical..._ Ian thought to himself, knowing better than to make such a statement out loud. He turned to face Blake completely, relaxing slightly, but there was still tension in his shoulders. Before he saw Blake make his way over, he watched carefully as a hand reached over to lock the restroom door with a soft click. That caused the panic to slowly build within Ian, trying to figure out just _what_ Blake was going to do to him here.

"Ian..." Blake stated, his voice calm and clear. "Did you do something with William?"

As if he had no control over it, Ian's eyes widened in utter astonishment. He wasn't even sure how to answer this question, since it came out of nowhere. His mouth was slightly agape, sound refusing to come out as his mind tried to work up a response. The question confused him completely, but his brain was too preoccupied with the mention of William.

He had already been working rather hard to keep his thoughts from reverting back towards the male in question, trying not to focus his mental energy on their complicated situation. The fact that they hadn't been speaking for weeks had been driving him insane, and he wasn't sure if he could take it anymore. A part of him wanted to run and confide in William, but the other made him cautious, considering that he _still_ didn't know if he really did love William or not. It didn't help that Blake was busy complicating Ian's thoughts with his own uncertainty.

"The fact that you haven't given me an answer is making me suspicious..." Blake stated, his tone dropping in the process as he began to walk towards Ian carefully.

"I haven't." Ian stated, quickly and firmly, his eyes reflecting the truth. "William and I... don't even talk anymore." he added, but his voice wavered as he stated it openly. The sound of him reaffirming that fact caused a pain to build up in his chest. Maybe, he was beginning to realize just how _wrong_ this seemed. Not talking to William was causing him unspeakable pain inside, along with the torment from Blake.

Blake stopped were he was, just a few feet separating the two of them. He crossed his arms, a puzzled expression coming to his face. "Really? That seems odd... considering his reaction..." he stated, watching Ian as he did so.

"His... reaction...?" Ian asked carefully, his gaze matching Blake's.

"I invited William to my party this weekend. But, I could tell he didn't want to go." Blake spoke, waving his hand slightly as he did so, as if to signify its lack of importance. "But, I think he changed his mind... when I told him _you_ would be there."

Ian's stare couldn't remain focused, his eyes dropping to the floor beneath him in confusion. William had told him, almost _promised_ , that he would not concern himself with Ian anymore, and he had kept his word since then. But this news, this notice of his choice to attend the party just because he would be there, was enough to stir Ian's disordered heart entirely.

Blake could see the wave of emotions on Ian's face, and he wasn't pleased with it. He reached out quickly and grabbed Ian's right arm, hearing him gasp in shock. "I'm starting to think you're lying to me, Ian." He stated, his voice very stern.

"I-I'm not. I have no idea... why William would change his mind... I honestly don't..." Ian stammered, staring back towards Blake in utter fear.

"I think I do." Blake spoke, before he used force to pin Ian against a wall roughly, hearing him cry out softly in pain. "William _likes_ you, doesn't he?"

Ian refused to answer the question, his mouth sealed shut as he continued his fearful stare towards the other male in silence.

"I had a feeling he did..." Blake proclaimed with a smirk. "He's nice and all, but I noticed that he was giving you a bit... too much attention lately. But, he kept a distance. He's either very smart... or doesn't have any balls."

"What... what do you mean?" Ian asked, his voice shaking.

"You see, I think William has the same exact problem I do. But, he chose to try and keep himself under control instead." Blake stated, his grip tightening on Ian's arm as he did so. "But, that's his problem, not _yours_. Instead of sitting back and thinking I'll eventually figure out why you make me... want to do these things to you... I decided to just figure it out myself. He isn't confident enough to do it. That just shows who's bolder."

"That's not true...." Ian stated quickly, but shut his mouth right after he did so. It was a bit too late as he could see the anger spread across Blake's face right afterwards.

"The fuck it isn't!" Blake shouted. "I _know_ that you can see it in him. You can tell from the way William acts around you. That guy is not that fucking innocent. He's fucked plenty of girls, so don't think so highly of him."

"What... does that matter?" Ian asked, surprised that he did. While the fear was definitely resting within him, a defensive and protective feeling was building up alongside it. He did not like the way Blake was referring to William at all, and it was beginning to show on his face. "I'm sure most guys have. That doesn't make him a... horrible person for it."

"I _knew_ it." Blake scoffed, shoving Ian against the wall as he released his arm. "You fucking like him, don't you?"

Holding his arm, Ian stared back at Blake quietly, his expression rather complacent as he did so. "What... if I do?" he asked. For the first time in what seemed like ages, his voice was steady and firm, his gaze solid as he carefully analyzed the other male's face. It was becoming rather obvious that he had a deeply rooted tie to William. Even if he didn't want it to be there, the emotions were rather strong and evident. He knew that he couldn't hide from them any longer. The mental torment he was feeling since their last encounter had kept him unsettled for days. He didn't like the lack of William's presence in his life, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Blake ridicule someone he cared about in front of him.

Without warning, Blake reached out and placed a hand around Ian's neck, hearing him inhale sharply at the impact. "Then... get the _fuck_ over it." Blake proclaimed roughly, his voice tight. "You are mine; No one else's. William missed his chance and he's not getting another one."

Ian's previous gaze didn't waver as he breathed deeply against he chokehold, his heartbeat increasing in fear and anger. Blake could see the determination in his eyes, but this didn't stop him from cracking a smile. "I wonder... what would happen if I told everyone about William's little secret?" Blake stated, a sadistic smirk on his face as he watched Ian's expression change from confident to worry. "That he has a strong _crush_ on you...?"

The brief confidence that had appeared quickly dissipated. "Don't...." Ian stated quickly, fearful once again at the notion of Blake ruining someone else's life. "Please don't... Leave William alone."

"I... I'm fucking _pissed_ right now..." Blake spoke, his voice shaking in anger as he released his grip on Ian's neck. However, he soon relaxed, his eyes moving back to gaze upon Ian with an odd calmness. "What are you going to do to keep me from opening my mouth?" he asked, a smile coming to his lips as he did so.

His breath wasn't slowing down as he realized what he had gotten himself into. He knew Blake wouldn't go back on his word. He'd find a way to spread that rumor so fast around school that even William wouldn't know where it came from. The last thing he wanted was to include someone else in his mess, especially someone that he cared so strongly for.

"Anything...." Ian stated softly, his hands shaking as they formed into fists. "I'll do anything..."

He let any confidence he had slip away completely as he saw the content smile appear on Blake's face.

"Good. That's all I wanted to hear."


	15. Chapter 15

"So, you'll be at a party later tonight?" his mother asked, in the process of trying to get his sister to eat her baby carrots.

"Yeah. Is it cool if I borrow a car?" William asked, glancing over to his father.

"Sure. Take mine. You know that your mother loves her Audi more than any of us." His father stated with a smirk, seeing his wife frown at him playfully.

"I _value_ it. Not love it." she added with a grin.

"Can I go to the party?" his younger sister asked excitedly as he pushed her vegetables with her fork.

"Sorry, Melissa. Not this time." William spoke with a small smile, seeing a pout come to her face. "I'll take you out this weekend. Sound good?"

"You promise?" she asked, her eyes lighting up happily.

"Yes... I promise." He stated, rolling his eyes in the process. "You can even pick where." He added, seeing a wide smile spread across her face. "But, you have to eat all your vegetables." He pointed out.

"I can do that." Melissa proclaimed proudly, putting a carrot into her mouth.

"How late will you be out?" his mother asked casually, continuing to eat her meal.

"Not too late. I don't think I'll stay horribly long. I wasn't that interested in going anyway. But, it would've been held over my head if I didn't..." William spoke with a sigh as he began to gather his empty plate and utensils.

"Who is this party for?" his father asked, curious.

"Blake Florence. A classmate of mine." He noted, carefully pushing away from the dining table as he did so.

" _OH..._ I know who he is." His father stated with a scoff, an annoyed frown on his face. He glanced over to see his son staring at him in confusion, while his wife narrowed her eyes in a threatening manner. "I mean... I know his father... and mother... sadly..." he added, only to hear his wife softly growl in annoyance. "I'll tell you about it some other time..." he stated quietly to his son, who appeared rather lost on the issue.

Not wanting to start an argument, William soon got to his feet and headed towards the kitchen. "Alright... Well, I'll be heading out in about half an hour. I was told to show up by 8. I'm going to take a shower then go."

"Have fun! If you think you may get home after midnight, just shoot us a text to let us know." His mother stated with a smile, watching her son leave the dining area completely.

_Fun... right. We'll see._

-

There were too many people at this party for him to remain comfortable. He knew Blake was planning on inviting a crowd, but he wasn't expecting what appeared to be a house full of 20-30 schoolmates. It was like a never-ending line of people piling into Blake's home.

When the clock hit 8pm, cars had begun to cruise through the driveway, a nice assembly of expensive cars parking behind each other as they arrived. Considering that his home was pretty isolated, many neighbors wouldn't think anything of it after a while. They came in small waves. Some guests would arrive in half an hour increments, giving him the impression that Blake had gave them specific times to arrive. Either way, after a good hour, it didn't take long for music to be blasting through an expensive sound system from wall-mounted speakers, flashing lights coloring the walls and alcohol to be passed out among the students.

Ian was just waiting for a disaster to strike at the smell of alcohol filling the room. He had been informed that Blake's parents had a stash of alcohol hidden away in a room in the basement. There were several different types, all in cases. Somehow, Blake's father had a connection to an alcohol distribution company and an employee that he went to college with. So, there was always a large supply of alcohol stored.

"I doubt they even notice a few bottles were missing." Blake stated with a shrug, taking a few bottles into his hands as he closed the storage door behind him, heading back upstairs.

" _Dude_... You are freaking _loaded_. I mean, I knew you were, but... not this fucking much." Brad stated in awe, following his classmate up the basement stairs.

"Why brag about it? Next thing you know, I'll have random strangers wanting to be my friend." Blake stated with a laugh, walking through the doorway back into the kitchen.

"That's true. I will say that I know pretty much everyone at this party, except for a few soccer players." Brad stated, grabbing a few bottles from Blake's arms and placing them onto the counter.

"I try to keep it as tight-knit as possible. I also don't want any neighbors and parents being suspicious. I just told the people I invited to keep it as casual as possible." Blake spoke, beginning to open a bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Yeah, I told my parents I was just going to hangout and see a movie then meet up with a bunch of people afterwards. They were cool with it." Brad confirmed, grabbing a few party cups from a plastic container.

"I don't think we'll have any issues tonight. I have all day tomorrow to clean up. Like I said, they won't be home until Sunday evening, so I can make it look spotless tomorrow." Blake proclaimed, before walking over towards his refrigerator.

"If you need some help, let me know. I doubt I'm drinking a lot tonight. Shelia, however, will probably get pretty wasted." Brad joked.

"Don't let a good opportunity go to waste." Blake stated with a laugh.

"Believe me... I won't." Brad stated, grabbing the bottle of Jack and holding it up above his head. "Who's ready for some Jack and Coke!" he shouted among the crowd of students, hearing them respond loudly in return.

Keeping himself in a corner, Ian quietly observed the group of unfamiliar classmates in silence. He didn't have much of a choice in attending this party. Blake didn't even give him the chance to speak on the matter. Saying that it was for his "own good" didn't help to ease the unsettled anxiousness he was experiencing. To him, these were all students who had the world given to them on a silver platter. They were a mixture of talented athletes, spoiled and pampered girls, egotistical guys and ruthless gossips. Immediately, he could tell that he didn't fit in.

However, at the mention of going to a party, his mother was delighted to see him socialize. "I'm so happy that you're making friends! I know I'm not always home to spend time with you, so I'm pleased to hear that you're branching out." She exclaimed excitedly, and then rushed him off to change into something a bit more presentable. _If she only knew the real reason I even bothered coming to this damn party... She'd have a heart attack, revive herself, and then kick Blake's ass..._ Ian thought to himself, an amused smile not helping but to come to his face.

As the thought crossed his mind, he still couldn't build up the courage to tell his mother about what had been happening. It was a conflict of pride and shame. He wanted to be able to take care of things on his own and not get to the point of having his mother fight his battles for him. But, just telling her the _acts_ Blake would make him do was enough to keep him silent. He didn't want to picture her reaction at all. More than anything, he didn't want her to be horribly upset or disappointed in him.

"Huh... Well, Nancy actually looks like a _boy_ for once..." he heard a voice state with a laugh. He looked over to see familiar faces belonging to Mark and Luke, minus Brad. A sigh couldn't help but escape him at the comment Mark made.

"I have to admit, Ian. You actually don't look like a fag today." Luke added, a smirk on his face.

 _I'm not in the mood for this shit..._ Ian thought, a look of annoyance coming to his face. "Was... that a compliment or an insult...?" Ian asked, figuring he could at least humor them for now, as to not cause a scene.

"I'm sure it was a compliment." He heard a voice state from his left, causing them all to look over in surprise. "Guys, why do you not have drinks in your hands?" Blake asked, handing Mark and Luke cups casually.

"I'm not a fan of Jack." Mark stated, lifting his hand to decline.

"I am. I'll gladly take the offer..." Luke spoke with a smile, taking a cup happily.

"What do you like, Mark? I'm sure Brad can make you something. I have a nice selection." Blake asked, surprised at Mark's distaste.

"You have any Vodka? If I'm going to drink, then I'm going to go all out." Mark declared, seeing Blake and Luke laugh simultaneously.

"I do! Go get yourself some. I think I have several choices." Blake encouraged, watching the two make their way towards the kitchen. He calmly glanced over towards Ian, who was both glad but unhappy with his current situation. "You look tense. _Relax...._ Try to socialize or something." Blake stated with a smile, only to see Ian stare back at him in silence.

"I'm... not really comfortable..." Ian admitted hesitantly, not sure what to expect in regards to his honesty.

"I can see that. But, you need to come out of your shell a bit." Blake stated, surprisingly in a soothing tone. Not too long after, he reached over and took Ian's right hand gently, before placing the rejected cup filled with alcohol in his hand. "Drink something. Maybe it will help. Don't be a wallflower the whole night. It will make me feel bad." He stated, patting Ian on the shoulder lightly before he walked away completely, going to mingle in the crowd.

Ian wasn't too sure what to make of what had just happened. For the first time in months, Blake had actually seemed genuinely concerned with Ian's feelings. 

_What... the hell was that?_ He thought to himself, before clearing his mind of the thought completely. _He's probably drunk... or just didn't want to cause a scene with all these people..._ Ian thought, nodding to himself right after as he made his way outside towards the deck. Passing through the strangers who were dancing in the middle of the living room, the couches and coffee table having been carried to Blake's parents bedroom, he soon pushed against the handle of a sliding glass door that lead to the deck, closing it behind him softly.

When he heard the gentle click of the door sliding shut, he let out a sigh of relief. He could see his breath appear in front of his face, slowly beginning to realize just how quickly the temperature had dropped from earlier in the day. It was a chilly 40 degrees, the sun having set completely to have patches of clouds and stars covering the sky. Since Blake's home was placed away from any daunting lights, the view of the night sky was rather amazing. Leaning against a wall of the house, the party cup still in his hand, Ian gazed longingly above him, wishing he had an easel, paint and a blank canvas to capture the scene. His gaze slowly rested on the pool below, seeing that it was still uncovered. It reflected the shining stars as if it were a mirror, the water gently moving against the small breeze.

However, his observing eye was soon distracted as he heard the door sliding open to his right, looking over in surprise to see someone else escaping into the darkness as well.

"Crap... it got cold..." he heard someone say softly as they closed the door shut behind them. He couldn't make out who they were, figuring it was some random stranger getting ready to light a cigarette to smoke. However, a porch light had soon lit up as they pushed a button alongside the doorway. He squinted slightly, before his eyes soon made out the familiar figure, widening in shock as they did so. "William?" he stated softly, his mind not able to process anything else. 


	16. Chapter 16

At the calling of his name, William looked over quickly, not expecting anyone else to be outside with him. But once he caught sight of him, William couldn't take his eyes off Ian. He knew he would be here, but he hadn't seen him since he arrived. However, he hadn't been really looking for him. While he had been told that Ian would be attending, it being his main drive for showing up, he still refused to seek Ian out. Actually, a part of him had decided to keep the distance, no matter how much it hurt. But now that he was alone with him, and could actually look at him without feeling anxious, William figured he might as well enjoy it while he could. "Hey... Wasn't expecting anyone to be out here..." William stated, a small smile coming to his face.

Ian was too busy processing the fact that William was standing near him, let alone _talking_ to him at this moment. It didn't help that he looked quite attractive as well. He almost wanted to state that William should wear tight fitting shirts more often, as he carefully gazed over the black long-sleeve shirt that was attempting to cover his muscles, his jeans that had been tied to his hips with a leather belt and could he actually smell _cologne_? It wasn't the typical teenage odor that most guys emitted in the hallways. This was the scent of something incredibly masculine, a mixture of metal and wood all rolled into a small hint of cinnamon. He had to hold himself back from reaching over and pulling William closer just to get a better whiff.

William was beginning to take Ian's muteness as rejection, thinking that maybe he should just retreat back into the endless crowd of rowdy boys and drunken girls. The silence was almost torturous, along with seeing Ian in causal clothes once again. That warm sensation was building up in the pit of his stomach, and he wasn't going to sit there and take it anymore without doing something out of the ordinary. "Sorry... I'll just go back inside..." he stated softly, turning to make his way back towards the door.

"Wait." Ian spoke quickly, surprised at how insistent his request sounded. He watched William pause his step, but he didn't turn back around. "It's... fine. You don't have to leave..." he added softly, his gaze dropping to the ground beneath him. His eyes caught sight of William's shoes shifting against the wooden pieces of the deck, turning back to face Ian completely. He didn't have the confidence to look William in the eyes, knowing that he would break under his gaze with ease. While the other male made him horribly confused and aroused, he also made him feel relaxed and content in his presence. William was the only one at this party that made him feel comfortable in his own skin.

Not really sure what to say, along with not expecting Ian to actually ask him to stay, William stared down at Ian in silence, carefully letting his eyes wander and take in every detail. For him, it had been far too long since he had been this close. He had actually forgotten how blue Ian's eyes were, along with the shape of his slender body and the ass that he eagerly wanted to reach out and grab. He casually placed his hands into his jeans pockets, as if to restrain them from doing so.

"I... apologize." Ian stated, his voice steady as he spoke. His voice appeared to be louder in the silence; of course he was sure he was imagining it.

"For what?" William asked calmly.

Even Ian wasn't too sure what he was apologizing for. "I guess... for... avoiding you. It wasn't fair." He finally stated as his eyes stayed planted to the wood under his foot. He wasn't quite sure how William would take that. He had been avoiding him, but it was unintentional. After hearing William's strong words a month ago, Ian had been trying to understand his own emotions. But, it wasn't right to ignore them and William entirely. It had been painful to bear and Ian could honestly say that he no longer wanted the distance.

"It's... fine." William responded back with a soft sigh. "I shouldn't have... been forward like that." He admitted, the guilt having never left him since he exited the room that day. Once he made it out of the building, he couldn't help but curse at himself harshly for what he had done, knowing that it had pretty much turned Ian's world upside down. While he had promised to keep a distance until Ian came to him, the fact that he had just confused the one person he didn't want to create conflict with was enough to keep him away.

"I appreciate you being honest." Ian stated, his voice firm as he finally took the effort to look William in the eyes, a slight shiver running up his back once he had made a connection with them. "I... I wasn't sure how to respond to it... so... that's why I've been so distant." He confessed, an expression of pure sadness appearing on his face at the revelation of it.

William could see the emotion in Ian's eyes and the wave of guilt had grown even more. "I know... and you don't have to." He stated, only to see Ian frown in confusion. "Don't rush. It... wouldn't be smart. Just... take your time with it. But, if you want to talk... not even about that... I'm here to do so."

A soft exhale of disbelief had escaped passed his lips, Ian not helping but to be relieved at William's offer. He wasn't fully ready to speak about what he had been feeling, the many thoughts that had plagued his mind for weeks on end after the last encounter. He was sure the words would rush out in a blur, not making any sense whatsoever. He wanted to be relaxed and prepared to finally express himself in full. Ian did not want to wane in finally telling someone that he deeply cherished about his true thoughts. "Thank you..." he spoke softly, a smile appearing on his face.

William couldn't help but do the same, quite relieved as well. _That's what I should've said the last time_... he thought, very pleased with seeing Ian smile contentedly. "Are you alright otherwise? I'm surprised you're out here alone..." William stated, not wanting to have a break in conversation. He was finally getting the chance to talk to Ian in peace and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could.

The question was enough to bring Ian back to reality. While it was comforting for the two of them to be reconnected once again, he knew that there would be complications if they stayed together for too long. Blake was sure to be walking around looking for him after a while and that was an encounter he did not want to face. But when he stared up at William, seeing a look of genuine concern, he could feel his barrier of secrets cracking within him. _I..._ _I can tell him..._ Ian thought, almost repeating it to himself to make sure that it was true. Like he knew before, William wouldn't harm him in any way, and he was sure that he wouldn't judge him either. He just needed to be reassured in the end.

Swallowing softly, he tried to form words before opening his mouth. He could feel his hands slowly begin to shake and his clasped them together roughly as he kept his eyes on William. "Not... really..." he finally spoke, a nervous smile coming to his face. "I'm not alright."

William had realized it a long time ago that _something_ had been bothering Ian. But, what he wanted to know was why Ian had kept it from him to begin with and what it could possibly be. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice gentle but full of concern.

Even though he had no idea what the outcome would be, Ian knew that he _needed_ to confess what Blake had been doing to someone. He didn't realize how much of an affect Blake had on his thoughts, the familiar feeling of fear instantly rising and slowly beginning to take over. "I... have a... small problem." He forced out, keeping his eyes on William for as long as he could. 

"What is it? Can... I help?" William asked as he tried to piece together what Ian could be speaking about. He could notice the other male's uneasiness, along with hesitance. He wasn't really sure what to expect.

But before Ian can even get the words out that had been forming in his head, he heard the sliding door open once again, causing both of them to look over quickly. "OH, there you are, William!" A female, around the same age as Ian, peeked out pass the door, an excited smile on her face. William, surprised, looked over in confusion, a polite smile coming to his face. "Can... I help you?" he asked, a light laugh coming from him. Ian, a bit annoyed with this random female's presence, decided to just keep quiet for the time being. _She needs go the fuck away... now..._ He thought, not sure how long he'd be able to keep his confidence if she stuck around.

"Yeah! Come dance with me!" she request excitedly, reaching out and wrapping her hands around William's arm.

Not expecting such a request, William stares back at her in confusion, before glancing over towards Ian. A look of puzzlement is resting on the other's face as well. "Um... Not right now... but I wouldn't mind it later... I guess..." he stated hesitantly, not wanting to upset her and make the situation more difficult.

A frown appears on her face as he leans over and places her cheek against his shoulder. "Why not?" she stated, almost in a whiny tone. "I don't think I'll be here for much longer... my ride is being a bitch and keeps threatening to leave..."

Ian, already exasperated, is watching the scene with a conflicted expression. _Please... just tell her to leave..._ He pleaded in silence, not wanting this opportunity to disappear. 

William can see that she's rather pushy, as well as drunk. If he told her to go away in a harsh manner, he was sure that she would make a scene right out here on the deck, drawing attention to all of them. Not wanting to deal with that at a party filled with teammates and classmates alike, a frustrated sigh could be heard from him not too long after. "Alright... One dance." He stated, politely but firm.

_GOD... William... fuck..._ Ian thought, his expression rather pained as he quietly watched the other male being dragged back towards the doorway.

"I'll be right back... I swear... It won't take long... Don't go anywhere, ok?" William stated, reassuring Ian as he walked backwards, being engulfed in the party once again, the door sliding closed right after. 

The silence returned and the chill from the cold wind had reminded Ian that he was, again, alone. The words that had been bottled up within him, longing to escape, had been pushed back down his throat. _He... was right here... I should've..._ The thought had ended as he soon felt a frustrating rage building up inside of him, his hands clenched tightly until he realized that he still had the party cup in his hand, the slight cracking from the pressure he applied catching his attention.

He couldn't remember what was in it, nor did he care. At this point, nothing else mattered anymore. He was going to be locked away after the party was done, alone with Blake once again and be forced to do things he never would've imagined. A whole night of being tortured and tormented against his will. The _only_ person that could've possibly listened to him, maybe even prevented it from happening again, was quickly snatched away from him by some random drunk girl.

_Fuck it..._ Without a second thought, he put the cup to his lips and swallowed the contents in one quick drink. It burned as it traveled passed his tongue, a wincing look of disgust slowly coming to his face. Once the cup had been emptied, he tossed it aside casually, concluding that he may as well accept fate and try to "relax," as Blake instructed.


	17. Chapter 17

The dance was quite annoying, the girl being too drunk to actually keep with the beat of the music. William was not fond of having a girl, whom he always considered rather quiet and friendly, rubbing up against his body in an unattractive manner. Once the song was done, he quickly excused himself, making his way back towards the deck like he stated. _I hope he's still there..._ William thought, cursing himself once again for deserting Ian. But he was left with two options: Either dance and not have the issue of being bothered again, or the girl relentlessly badgering him to the point where Ian would probably just not bother talking to him at all.

Grabbing the handle and pushing the door to the left, William made it halfway out before he saw that the deck was completely empty. " _Fuck."_ He stated quietly, his tone harsh. Coming back in, he closed the door behind him and looked into the crowd. Between the flashing lights in the darkness and pulsing music, he had no idea where Ian could've gone and this actually made him panic.

-

A part of him wondered why he never tried alcohol before, but it was soon pushed aside at the realization of just how _good_ this drink tasted. At one point, Ian had been keeping track of how many concoctions he had. Several strangers giving him drink after drink to try, before he soon lost count and gladly took any cup he was given. Thoughts had become clouded and his mood had greatly improved. He couldn't really recall it, but he swore that he was dancing at one point with different people in a group, the beat of the music traveling through his body as he did so. In a way, he felt as if he had escaped this world entirely.

Ian had made his way towards the kitchen, grabbing another random drink off the counter before he took a sip of it. He was unbalanced, each step he took making him sway slightly. Even when he was trying to drink, he couldn't hold the cup steady, a few drops landing on his shirt. He laughed at himself, placing the cup down in a clumsy manner as he reached over to get a towel and clean himself off. But, in the process of grabbing the towel, he knocked a bottle over, its contents spilling onto the counter.

"The hell?" he heard a voice say, looking over quickly in a defensive manner. His eyes had caught sight of Blake, who was now rushing to clean up the mess before it hit the floor. "Be more careful. I don't want anything leaving a stain." Blake stated with a sigh as he wiped the mess up.

"Alright, _master_..." Ian stated, his voice slurred as he did so, before he chuckled in amusement.

This caught Blake's attention entirely, watching Ian lean against the counter and attempt to drink once again. "Ian... are you fucking... _drunk_?" he asked, actually baffled at the scene.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ian asked in a cocky manner, finishing his drink entirely before he tossed the cup in Blake's direction, watching as it fly over the counter and begin rolling towards the floor.

Blake caught the cup in a swift movement, placing it upright as he studied Ian closely. "No... well, I mean... I'm glad you're loosening up..." Blake stated, not helping but to laugh softly in surprise.

"Isn't... that what you told me... to do?" Ian asked, his eyes squinting towards Blake in a suspicious manner.

Blake's eyebrows rose slightly, not really sure what Ian was implying. "Well... yes..."

"OK, then. I'm just obeying you like I always do..." Ian stated harshly, before he began reaching over to grab a bottle.

Blake quickly reached out and grabbed Ian's hand tightly. "I don't think you need anymore..." he stated, his voice firm.

Ian, with ease, snatched his hand away from Blake's grasp, glaring at him as he did so. "Here you go again... telling me what I fucking... can and _can't_ do." Ian spoke harshly, and quite loudly for that matter. "Not only do you do it in bed, but you do it during a damn party as well."

Obviously Ian didn't recognize the current situation, but Blake clearly did, as there were plenty of people around them who could easily hear this conversation. It didn't take long for a few strangers to look over, thinking that maybe they had misheard Ian entirely. " _Ian....._ What are you talking about?" Blake asked, sternly.

"What do you mean?" Ian asked in a surprised tone, a drunken grin on his face. "You _always_ tell me how.... you like me to do things to you. I either have to suck you off roughly.... And then you don't _really_ give me a choice on whether I take in my mouth... I _hate_ swallowing that shit, by the way...." Ian stated in a casual manner, waving a hand to show his disgust. At this point, he was drawing a bit of a small crowd, many people confused on just whom he was talking about.

Blake, not sure how to smooth this over without jumping over the counter at Ian in anger, just stood in the same spot, his eyes planted on Ian intently. "Maybe you should just _shut up_." He stated, his tone threatening.

"No." Ian spat, pointing a finger at Blake as he did so. "Maybe... _you_... should learn how _I'd_ like things to go. Don't get me wrong... you give _decent_ blowjobs.... But I'm sure I could find someone who could do better... Even though I can see that you _really_ enjoy it..." Ian stated with a shrug, as if Blake's opinion on the matter wasn't his concern. He had yet to understand that he was no longer in a fantasy world, but reality and he was causing a major stir among the small crowd that had been forming around them.

Blake was beginning to hear whispers, feeling stares darting between the two of them. Before Ian said anything else, Blake reached out and grabbed his arm roughly, before pulling him through the crowd towards the glass doors that lead to the deck. "You _fucking_ idiot..." Blake muttered under his breath, not able to contain his anger much longer.

Ian, rather lost on what was happening, was struggling to free himself from Blake's grip as he was forcefully dragged outside. "W-what are you doing? Let go... asshole..."

Blake didn't bother to close the door behind him as he soon swung around, lifting Ian off the ground slightly and struck him across the face with his fist. The smack echoed in the distance, even through the music that had soon made its way outside. The same crowd that had surrounded them in the kitchen was soon making their way past the door, figuring that they could at least be entertained or try to piece together just what Ian had been talking about.

A shocked moan of pain had followed the hit, Ian's vision blurred as he tried to pin the source of the sudden ache his left cheek had felt. "I am going to fucking _kill_ you right now..." he heard a voice state angrily, as he felt a grip tighten against his arm once again. He couldn't come back to his senses completely, but he _knew_ whose voice it was and that was enough to make him react.

Without warning, Ian reached out to push Blake as hard as he could, stumbling away from him slightly as he could still feel the grip at his left arm. Not realizing where he was, he soon lost his footing and ended up falling backwards into something rather cold and wet.

He heard the sound of water rushing past his ears, along with the noise of something else landing into the water with him. His vision was clouded as he tried to gather his surroundings, trying to figure out just _where_ he was at this moment. He couldn't gather his footing any longer and he felt as if he was sinking. He turned in a panicked manner as he tried shouting for help, but felt water flow into his mouth. He began trying to breathe roughly, but he was soon engulfed completely in a sphere of liquid and he didn't know how to get out.

The more he struggled, the more the water forced its way into his body. His chest was beginning to burn horribly as he tried to regain control of himself. His eyes tried to focus, but everything appeared dark. His ears attempted to listen for something else, but all he could hear was the sound of deep waves. He was slowly becoming cold, the temperature of the water rather cold. As if he no longer had the ability to move, he was feeling his body go numb, any attempt in escaping this liquid black hole being subsided.

-

It didn't take long for him to react. Pushing through the crowd as hard as he could, William had soon made his way over towards the pool, staring into the darkness before he glanced back over towards the doorway. "Turn on the fucking lights!" he shouted, before he was soon standing on the edge, his eyes scanning quickly to try and catch sight of _anything_ in the water. As soon as the lights came on, he soon found himself jumping head first into freezing water, not bothering to remove his clothes before doing so.

His eyes quickly scanned through the transparent waves for a familiar body, his heartbeat increasing in anxiety before he caught sight of a lifeless form, sinking towards the bottom of the pool. As if his own life depended on it, William swam towards it earnestly. The distance seemed so far away as he continued to swim as hard as he could, reaching out and grabbing hold of an arm before making his way back towards the surface.

Breaking through the water, William gasped out roughly, pulling the body up along with him. Not wasting a second, he swam to the closest edge and lifted the body up, before other students carefully took it from him. Climbing out of the pool, William was soon kneeling beside it, looking it over hurriedly. He had blocked everything out, his ears appearing to be deaf as he leaned over and placed an ear against the boy's chest to listen for a heartbeat.

"Ian...?" he stated softly, his voice trembling from the cold and fear. He reached up and turned Ian's head to the side, trying to rid his mouth and nose of any water before placing it upright. Leaning over, he applied pressure to Ian's nose and closed his nostrils shut, before he placed his lips against Ian's cold, unresponsive ones. As strong as he could, William breathed several times into his mouth, trying to force air in as quickly as he could. After he was done, he placed an ear against the open mouth, trying to listen for any sounds.

"Ian...." He stated, almost in a threatening manner as his own breath quickened, leaning over to repeat the process once again. The rest of the world was beginning to come into view as he could hear panicked whispers and the conversation of someone on a cell phone talking to an emergency respondent. He could also hear the harsh words of someone yelling frantically in shock and anger. Again, he leaned an ear against the mouth, desperately longing to hear the sound of life.

_Ian..._


	18. Chapter 18

It all happened rather quickly. The whole scene was playing in his mind on repeat. He didn't even notice that the conflict had started in the kitchen and made its way outside until he saw small groups of people piling around the glass door. He wasn't even sure who it was, thinking that maybe it was two idiotic guys fighting over some drunk girl that was too busy trying to flirt with every male there. Instead, when he peered over the crowd, he caught a glimpse of Ian in Blake's grasp as they both fell into the pool and he couldn't get there fast enough.

The rest of the house decided to move at the same time he did, pushing and forcing their way out onto the deck as they watched Blake arise from the pool with ease. But that wasn't whom he was worried about. It was taking Ian far too long to emerge from the pool and no one else appeared to notice; at least, someone that he didn't expect to.

"What the FUCK, Blake?!" Brad exclaimed as he rushed over towards the edge of the pool, Blake climbing out in a clumsy huff. "What the fucking hell just happened?!"

"Nothing, Brad... Shut up...." Blake stated in-between rough breaths, hunched over as he tried to calm himself down from the chill he was experiencing, as well as his anger.

"That... wasn't _nothing_ , Blake. Ian was spewing some weird-ass shit about you two, and I want to fucking know why!" Brad shouted, hovering over his frustrated classmate in irritation.

"If you don't fucking _close your god-damn mouth_...." Blake growled, as he glared up at Brad, not wanting to be reminded of what just happened.

"Where's.... Ian....?" A female asked as she gazed towards the pool, her face a mixture of confusion and fear. This simple question was enough to stir up the rest of the group, who was soon wondering the same thing.

Brad looked over in surprise, his eyes scanning the pool in a quick fashion. "He's... fucking around..." he muttered, a look of uncertainty coming to his face.

"No, he's not..." Blake stated as he gazed, horrified, into the darkness of the pool. "Ian.... He.... Ian _can't_ swim..."

Before anyone could even react fast enough, William had made his way towards the edge of the pool, ordered someone to turn on the lights and dived in to retrieve Ian's limp form. Once he resurfaced, several strangers rushed to his aid to lift Ian out of the water, laying him on his back not too long afterwards. While William worked to breath life into Ian's motionless body, Brad was too busy not only panicking, but raving at Blake in the most raged-induced way and all Blake could do was sit and take it in silence. He wasn't able to take his eyes off the scene that was playing right before his eyes on the other side of the deck.

Someone mentioned that an ambulance, as well as the police, would be arriving soon, causing several students to panic and flee in fear of being caught for not only underage drinking, but being witnesses to what could easily be a murder scene. Others disregarded this fact and decided to stay, whether it was of their own accord or from pure hope that William could do some good until the ambulance arrived.

For what seemed like minutes, William applied mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Ian's body as many times as he could, even while he was trembling from the cold and shock. His primary focus was trying to get Ian make _some_ kind of reaction.

A twitch, a cough, a damn _cry_ would've been good for him. William wanted to look into those bright blue eyes, the same blue orbs that made him weak in the knees whenever he caught sight of them. His breath was becoming unstable at the shock that he may never get to see them again, tears slowly beginning to sting his eyes as he tried one final time to get Ian to _move._ With another push of air into Ian's mouth, William gave everything he had into this simple act, praying softly in the depths of his mind for some sort of miracle, even if he didn't believe in them.

At that, he felt something move under his right hand. His eyes shot open and glanced over towards it as Ian's chest had been motionless underneath it. Until this one instance, where he was _sure_ he felt something tremble. He released his fingers from holding Ian's nose shut slowly before he felt a soft wave of air push through them. Ian's chest jumped softly, before you could hear him cough roughly afterwards. Water spilled from the sides of Ian's mouth from force with each cough, before soft gasps for air could be heard.

A shaky exhale escaped William in disbelief, leaning back to rest on his hands as he watched Ian react progressively, the rest of the crowd doing the same thing. He couldn't even form words for how joyful he was to hear the sound of Ian attempting to breathe, reaching over and sitting him upright carefully to allow him to clear his air passages. What concerned him at this point was if Ian was all right fully, because he was beginning to grow concerned when Ian didn't respond to his touch.

"Ian... you ok...?" William asked, his voice still shaken. While Ian was indeed breathing, it was raspy and hard. He watched Ian's hand carefully make its way towards his own shirt and grasp tightly, his eyes scanning the other male's face in confusion as he watched an expression of pain spread across it. Before he could even question what was wrong, random strangers dressed in dark uniforms began to quickly examine Ian's condition and pulled him away from his side. William watched in awe as Ian was taken from his embrace and there was nothing he could do about it.

-

His mind was blank as he stared off towards nothing in particular. The sounds of a bustling hospital were muffled, as he was mentally distracted on what had just happened a good half an hour earlier. He was still rather cold, a blanket wrapped around him as he sat in the waiting area in silence. There were only a handful of people there along with him. An older woman who was slowly falling asleep in her chair, a man who was busying himself with a book, and two familiar beings: Brad and Blake.

William was still trying to figure out why the both of them were here. They sat on the opposite side of the room, right next to each other, in silence. Blake didn't have a choice in the matter, as the police were chatting with the evening receptionist at the desk about contacting all of their parents. A blanket was provided for him as well, yet he refused to drape it over himself. Brad, however, refused to be sent home, claiming that he saw the whole ordeal in full and wanted to be a witness. However, William was beginning to conclude that Brad was truly preoccupied with getting the truth out from Blake. William had to admit that he wanted the same exact thing.

His hazel eyes slowly made their way over to carefully study Blake, his expression rather blank. It was an eerie act, considering that Blake replicated the same exact stance, his eyes catching sight of William's in the same manner. Instead of a typical response of wit, Blake averted his gaze elsewhere, making his uneasiness visible.

"You.... totally... _fucked up_ , Blake..." Brad muttered softly, having been silent since they arrived.

Both William and Blake looked over slowly in surprise. Blake remained quiet, his hands fidgeting in his lap slightly. William moved his gaze towards them, fascinated by the movement.

"Seriously... what... were you thinking?" Brad asked, his tone that of a disappointed parent.

"Why... are you here...?" Blake finally spoke, his voice low as he turned his attention to the male sitting next to him. It wasn't in an irritating way, but more so curious.

Brad, without a moment's hesitation, looked over at Blake with the most hateful expression possible. "Because... you did something... _horrible_."

William felt his brows knit together in puzzlement as he watched the two, not sure of what Brad meant. He could see that Blake was just as confused, his face showing it.

"Just... be honest, Blake..." Brad stated, his tone going from angry to desperate. "What... did you _do_ to _Ian_?"

Not expecting Brad to be so bold and forward, William slowly sat back into his seat, quite pleased that he didn't have to do all the legwork in making Blake talk. He watched Blake's expressions shift from surprise, conflicted and finally blank once again.

"I'd... rather not say." Blake stated softly, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"I suggest you get ready to speak, because the cops are going to interrogate your ass." Brad proclaimed roughly, glaring at Blake in frustration. "Fuck, Blake. Obviously _something_ happened between you two. You would've have... fucking punched him for no reason at all!" Brad practically shouted, getting the attention of the other two people in the waiting room.

"If you don't know the whole story, then you shouldn't make fucking assumptions..." Blake shot back quickly, rather defensive. He watched Brad close his mouth in annoyance, wondering if he had finally gotten him to stop badgering him for information.

"They aren't assumptions... Brad's right. Something happened between Ian and you...." William spoke calmly, his eyes focused on Blake. He saw Blake look over towards him once again, but this time, his expression was almost threatening. However, William wasn't fazed in the slightest. At this point, the cards were in his hands. Not only were they in a hospital, but police officers were around as well. So, if Blake wanted to get physical, all he had to do was sit back and watch him eventually end up on the floor in handcuffs. "What did you do, Blake?" William asked, his voice firm.

Blake sent William a piercing glare of anger, seeming to forget that they weren't completely alone. "All the things you wanted to do to him, but _didn't...._ " he stated carefully, a small smile coming to his face as he watched William's expression change drastically. "You think I didn't _know_? You're horribly transparent, William... Of course you would be the one to leap into the pool and save him... who else would?"

"Don't make this out to be my fault." William responded harshly, his voice remaining low as to not draw too much attention. A fire was being created within his chest as he tried to contain his rage, his hazel eyes showing much more green than normal, and it was something Brad could see with ease.

"What.... the fuck are you two talking about?" Brad asked, but wasn't sure if he wanted to know as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Oh, I didn't say it was your fault. But, just be aware that I know how you _feel_." Blake stated, a content smile still resting on his lips.

"You don't _fucking_ know how I feel..." William spoke, his voice emitting anger.

"I don't? Oh, but I do..." Blake proclaimed, leaning back comfortably into his chair. "But instead of _waiting_... I took the leap and took charge. Something you couldn't muster up the courage to do."

"Keep telling yourself that, you twisted bastard." William stated, his tone fierce as he felt his hands clench into fists. "I... knew something was wrong, terribly _off_... Ian was acting too fucking strange. Too... too..."

"Distant?" Blake added, an amused expression on his face. "Why do you think that?" he asked, rather curious.

William's breath was slowly beginning to quicken from anger, doing everything he could to hold himself back from reaching over and taking a swing at Blake's arrogant face. Instead of answering Blake's question, he remained silent, his eyes still resting on the male across from him.

"Well, since you won't say it out loud, I'll do it for you." Blake stated, a smirk on his face. "Because I _told_ him to. And you _hate_ that I could."

"What...? Just... what the actual fuck?" Brad spoke, completely lost on the conversation. "I don't fucking _get_ this..."

"What did you _do_ to Ian?" William asked once again, his tone sharp.

"I made him _mine._ " Blake answered casually, not caring who heard at this point.

That small sentence was all William needed to hear in order to finally piece together the past few weeks. The sudden distance from Ian, his reaction from William being too close, the sudden interest that Blake presented without hesitation, the way Ian would spend most of his time with Blake throughout the week, even down to their confrontation on the deck. It was all starting to make perfect sense, and William was disgusted by it. An expression full of astonishment was shown, as if the life had been kicked out of him. "You didn't..."

Blake just watched him in silence, his arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back into his seat, content.

"Wait... So... What Ian was talking about in the kitchen...?" Brad stated, just as shocked as William.

"Brad... _Be quiet_. You have no _fucking_ clue what we're talking about..." Blake stated casually, not wanting to hear Brad's voice.

"Yes... He does..." William added soon after, finally finding the effort to continue speaking. "Brad's an asshole, but he's not stupid. You, however, are not only stupid... but... _disgusting_..."

"I'm not the only one in this room that is." Blake stated, his eyes narrowing as he continued observing William.

"No, you _are._ While I may have... thought about it... hell, I've even _fantasized_ about it... I'll admit that. I would never... _ever_... do such a thing to Ian. Never in my life would I want to control him like that." William stated, his voice sincere.

Blake scoffed, shaking his head in annoyance. "You are lying through your teeth." He spat back, refusing to accept that as solid truth.

"I'm not." William proclaimed, his voice calm and steady. "I... I'm obsessed, yes. Just like you were. I can see that now... But, what makes me different... what makes me the _better_ person... is that I didn't act on my urges and desires. I learned self-control and patience... because I actually _care._ I deeply... care for Ian." William confessed, his face full of honesty and confidence. "That is what makes us _different._ I'm not like you, Blake. I never will be."

The confidence Blake had been showing was soon wiped away as quickly as it came. This was something he did not want to hear coming from someone who was supposed to be his equal, his competition, and William could see it in his eyes. There was pure hatred shining from within and the sudden silence was enough to signify it. Even in the mist of a hospital after a dire game of life and death, William had just made an enemy. What worried him was how far Blake was willing to go to make a statement. There was no way he would be allowed near Ian from this point on, considering the circumstances.

But, what worried William the most was what _Ian_ would do when he was released and out in the open once again. William still had no idea just how powerful Blake had been with him. It was something he would have to figure out on his own and the only way he could do that was through Ian. He would have to try his best to get Ian to trust him fully, as well as talk with him openly about this incident. Now, William was starting to see just how influential Blake Florence was, and it was something that stirred up fear within him, just like it did with Ian. 


	19. Chapter 19

The room was rather silent. The lights had been dimmed, save for the blinking glows of the monitor and the nebulizer that was producing medicinal oxygen through the mask placed around his mouth and nose. His eyes were lazily opened halfway as he tried to gaze about his surroundings, having recognized the familiar beep of a heart monitor as he was awaking from a deep sleep. His body ached all over as he tried to shift, a soft grunt escaping from him. He was trying his best to recollect his thoughts, yet his head was pounding in pain.

He wasn't entirely sure how he ended up here, desperately attempting to piece together the images in his mind. But, the only thing he could recall was the last moment he had with William out on the deck, then drinking in an annoyed fashion not too long afterwards. He breathed softly, having become accustomed to a mask being placed on his face over the years. Yet, that did not mean he enjoyed it. He still continued to gaze around the room, focusing his vision to adjust to the darkness until he caught sight of his mother resting in a nearby chair, sleeping soundly.

That was a familiar scene throughout most of his childhood. Constantly visiting doctors and the ER not only because of his own illness, but his fathers as well. It was something he hoped to never have to experience again, hating the fact that his mother already worked hard enough as it was. He didn't wanted to be a burden for her in anyway. Yet again, it was turning out to be that way. However, the soft sound of footsteps could be heard entering the room, catching his attention.

Not able to move much, he quietly watched a man in a long white coat enter the room, something resting in his arms as he walked over towards his mother. A frown crawled onto his face as he observed in silence. As the man had gotten closer, stopping carefully as he did so, he fumbled with the object in his hands, until he could recognize it as a blanket. The man draped it over his mother gently; making sure it covered her completely in the process.

It was a comforting gesture, considering that he had been worried for her well being not too long before this man entered his room. Yet, he was rather perplexed when the same man leaned over and placed a simple kiss against his mother's forehead, lingering there for just a moment, before he stood upright and exited the room. Not having the energy to actually call out to this man, Ian watched him leave the room without any protest. Having exhausted himself completely from just trying to analyze everything, prior to his hospital visit and this event, he closed his eyes, his body longing for sleep once again.

-

"Alright, William. I know you're tired and want to get some rest, but can you please tell us what happened from your point of view?" a man in an expensive suit asked, a pen and notebook resting in his hands as he gazed down towards the young man resting in a hospital bed.

"I've already told you once, detective, my son is not answering any questions right now. If I have to call security to escort you out of this room, I will." His father stated, his tone very firm as he did so.

"Look, Charlie, I heard you before. But, you have got to understand that your son is a witness in this case." The man stated, his tone just as firm.

"I know that Robert, but not _now._ I'll gladly escort him to the police station in a day or two after he is released. You've questioned enough people tonight. It's close to midnight and we all need rest." His father reinforced, in a semi-polite manner.

Watching the detective closely, William let out a soft sigh of frustration. "I'm... not avoiding answering questions. I'm willing to share my story and facts, but... I really am exhausted and just want to _sleep_." He responded, his voice slightly raspy.

The detective stared at William quietly, before he closed his notepad with a snap. "Ok, son, that's fine. I apologize. I'm just... trying to wrap my head around what's going on. I have a bunch of people telling me different things, including the supposed attacker. I can't speak to the victim. He's in a different ward of the hospital and his mother will not allow me to talk to him. Had no idea she was a nurse here... poor woman... probably had a heart attack when she saw her son rolling in on a stretcher..." he stated, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I almost had one when I heard Will was in the hospital to begin with." His mother spoke softly, holding his now sleeping sister in her arms as she rested in a chair.

"Understandable, Liz. All right, I'll leave you guys be. I'll speak with you two later this week." The detective spoke, looking between William and his father before he began to exit the room.

"I'll try to get him down soon. Have a good night, Robert." His father spoke with a smile as he watched the older man depart the room.

"I know Rob is a great detective, but... he can be rather... pushy..." his mother stated with a sigh, adjusting in her seat. William watched his father sit next to her with a deep sigh of his own, leaning back into the chair.

"This... is going to be rather annoying..." his father spoke with a groan. "I get the feeling I'm going to have to avoid people for a while until I figure out what to do."

"What... do you mean?" William asked, clearing his throat afterwards.

"Well, Will, you are indeed a witness in this issue and I know for a _fact_ that it's going to be a case just because of who's involved." His father stated, crossing his arms slightly.

"I'm sure his father is probably throwing a tantrum on the flight back home to some lawyer. I'm surprised they didn't take Blake into custody." His mother spoke, irritation in her voice.

"They could, but he is a minor, and he needed to be looked at as well. Falling into a pool in this weather is enough to cause pneumonia. I'm surprised they had you sitting in the waiting room when we arrived. You were shaking all over..." his father stated as he gazed over William in a worried fashion.

"I'm... fine. I was just cold and tired." William reassured with a small smile. "You guys can go home, if you want... I'll be ok alone and I know Melissa needs to be in bed."

"I can stay here tonight, Liz." His father stated quickly. "I don't really want to leave him here alone, in case anyone else shows up to question him."

"That's fine, Charles." She stated, getting to her feet as she lifted his sister into her arms. "I'm sure we'll be back tomorrow sometime in the late morning. Melissa is not going to be content until she can see you." She added with a tired smile.

"That sounds good, mom. Go get some sleep... I'll be alright." William spoke gently, feeling a kiss be placed on his cheek.

"Goodnight. Love you, and Charles you better sleep as well. Make sure to ask for a cot or something..." she spoke, before gathering her purse, leaning over to place a kiss on his husband's lips gently.

"OK, I'll call you in the morning." His father proclaimed, watching his wife exit the room, his daughter still sleeping in her arms as he did so.

With less people in the room, William felt that he could relax a bit easier. However, with his father at his side, he couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. He was certain his father was going to do a proper interrogation of his own, yet he wasn't sure when. Considering that his father was a lawyer, and had raised him, he knew how to read William without problems. It was very hard to lie, if he could. But, what worried William the most was if his father would be able to see the emotion on his face if his relation towards Ian came up in conversation, which he was positive it would.

"Alright, well... I'm going to grab something to drink from a vending machine on the first floor. You need anything while I'm up?" his father asked as he rose to his feet.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks..." William stated, shaking his head to decline the offer. He watched his father leave the room quietly, becoming somewhat grateful for the solitude. While he was certainly tired, his mind wouldn't allow him to fully rest comfortably. He was still somewhat anxious, having been that way since the conflict in the waiting room before his family had arrived. He was unsettled with the fact that the 3 of them were all in the same location, but in different areas.

He had no idea where Ian was resting, since he was transported directly to the ER due to a horrible asthma attack occurring right after William had revived him. Blake was pretty much forced to stay in the hospital, as his parents had called the establishment directly and advised for him to be treated as well. What made William even more suspicious was that Blake didn't resist the offer, quietly following an aid that had been ordered to escort him to a room. Their previous conversation had been interrupted when the same detective, Robert Mosley, had entered the hospital after questioning several students who were at the party.

At the same exact time, William's parents had arrived, along with a lawyer who followed Blake to his hospital room. Brad was sent home after having provided questions to Mr. Mosley. But, before he left, Brad grabbed William's shoulder to get his attention.

"Look... I don't know... what's going on between Ian and you... fuck... I don't know what's going on between him and Blake for that matter. But, just promise me... don't let Blake touch him _again_." Brad stated quietly, his expression rather worried. "I know I say I hate Ian all the time, and I _really_ do because of our history... but... he didn't deserve this. It's not right. I don't know what's going on in Blake's fucked up head, but I don't care for it, and I'm afraid that if he gets Ian alone again, it will be worse..." After his statements, Brad was soon met with his parents at the front desk, who soon began hounding him in anger and worry.

Just the thought of Blake finding his way to Ian's room, and possibly doing something horrible was enough to make William sit upright in bed. Without a second thought, he swung his feet over the edge and stood up carefully. Instead of a traditional gown, his mother had brought a change of clothes for him once she had received his phone call. A long pair of sweats covered his legs, with wool socks covering his feet, while a long sleeved shirt kept his upper body warm. He had no idea where he was headed, but he was going to wandering around the hospital for as long as he could. If he didn't find Ian during this period, then he would wake up early the following morning and try again. He was not going to be able to rest comfortably without knowing Ian was all right.


	20. Chapter 20

Making his way down the large hallway, William passed several doors to other rooms, glancing in silently as to not disturb the patients in case none of them were Ian. He then found himself standing in front of a desk, the evening nurse surprised to see him walking around. She was rather old in her age, pleasantly plump and not very welcoming.

"Did you need something? You shouldn't be walking around this late at night..." she stated, her voice low but firm.

"I know... I'm sorry... I'm just... I'm trying to find another patient who came in tonight as well. He's... a friend of mine." William stated softly, walking over towards the desk.

"May I ask why?" she asked, a suspicious look on her face.

"I just wanted to see if he was ok." He stated, not knowing any other way to answer the question. 

A frown crawled onto the woman's face, before she clicked a button on her computer mouse. "What's his name?"

William, rather surprised that she was willing to give him information, leaned against the desk eagerly. "Ian Crowley."

Before he could even finish stating Ian's last name, the woman's eyes widened and she shook her head to decline his request. " _Oh_ , no. I am _not_ allowed to give out any information regarding that patient at this time. I suggest you return to your room and get some rest." She stated, her voice stern.

A look of bewilderment crossed William's face, not expecting such an extravagant answer. "OK... I'm not even going to bother to ask why... I know already..." he stated with a sigh, accepting defeat.

"What is your name?" another voice asked behind him, causing him and the nurse to jump in surprise. He looked over to see a middle-aged man, taller than himself surprisingly, gazing down towards him as he stepped closer towards the desk. A puzzled expression rested on his face as he studied William with light brown eyes that were hidden behind gold-framed glasses. His black hair was combed back and lightly held with gel in a presenting manner. Seeing the white coat covering his frame, William was safe to assume that he was a doctor.

"William Livingston..." William answered calmly, gazing up towards this rather tall and handsome looking man calmly.

The doctor's eyes had brightened slightly at hearing his name, catching his interest completely. "Ah... So, you're the young man that surprised everyone at the party..." he stated, seeing the confused expression on William and the nurse's faces. "I'm Doctor Boris Eckhel. I actually treated Ian when he arrived." He added, extending his hand politely.

William carefully reached out to shake it, a small smile coming to his face. "I see... nice to meet you." he stated intrigued, not expecting such an encounter.

"Rebecca was actually trying to locate you in the midst of the chaos, saying that she wanted to speak with you and find out exactly what happened. That was after we finally got Ian in a stable condition several hours ago. I can take you to their room. Note that I've escorted him, Nancy..." Boris stated as he glanced over towards the nurse, who nodded quickly and began to note it in the log. With Boris leading him down the hallway, William followed along nervously towards an elevator. Once inside, he watched the doctor press the button for the 13th floor, considering that they were currently on the 8th. If he could, William was going to try and memorize this path so he could easily find Ian in the future.

"I'm not sure if she will be awake or not. Someone had recently visited their room to see how Ian was fairing, so I apologize ahead of time if they are both resting." Boris stated with a polite smile. 

"How... bad was he?" William asked, having to clear his throat halfway. He figured his exhaustion didn't help in making coherent statements.

"Ah... quite bad, to put in simple terms. Someone with severe asthma would not be able to withstand the lack of air for that long. Then, with the revival, the sudden intake and force of air into his body did now help regulate his breathing. His air passages were closing rather quickly. While you saving him was a great deed, he wasn't going to be secure afterwards. But, he's doing much better now. He just needs to get some rest." Boris spoke in a reassuring manner; taking a step out of the elevator as the doors opened once they reached their designated floor. William continued to follow behind, letting the words sink in as he did so.

"How long will he be in the hospital?" William asked, rather curious.

"Considering the circumstances, he will probably be here for a few days. We have to make sure that he can properly breathe without any support whatsoever for a long period of time." Boris stated, guiding William down another hallway once again. This unit of the hospital was eerily silent, most of the rooms darkened, save for a few blinking lights. William was almost afraid to breathe, in fear of waking any of the recovering patients. But, his attention was taken once again as Boris slowed his pace, stopping near a specific doorway.

"This is where Ian is resting for the time being. I'm not entirely sure if he will be here the whole time." Boris stated, motioning for William to look inside.

Carefully, William peeked his head around the doorframe, waiting for his eyes to adjust before he could make out the familiar features of Ian's face in the darkness, seeing his eyes sealed closed as he slept peacefully, a plastic mask covering his nose and mouth. He could see his chest rising and dropping in a steady pace and hear the soft noise of the heart monitor reflecting his pulse. Any fear he had soon dwindled within him, a soft sigh escaping as he watched Ian sleep from a distance. While it was certainly nerve-wracking that he couldn't actually _speak_ with Ian at this time, this was enough to keep him tranquil.

"William?" someone stated in the hallway, making him look over his shoulder quickly.

"Rebecca? I'm surprised your up..." Boris stated, a worried expression crossing his face.

William watched Ian's mother quickly make her way down the hall. "I... I was... Well, I couldn't really sleep..." she stated softly, a tired smile on her face. "A nurse had come into the room to see if his treatment was going as planned and I woke up at the noise."

"You really need to get some sleep." Boris stated with a sigh, his hands moving to rest in his coat pockets calmly. "Ian will be fine, I promise. I'm more worried about you. You were about to head home after your shift before he came in..."

Rebecca smiled, a light laugh being heard. "You're a worrier, Boris. I'm fine. I'm more worried about William..." she stated, looking over towards him in a maternal manner. "Are you alright?"

William stared back at her quietly, nodding to confirm that he was content. But he could tell that she was a wreck. Her eyes were still puffy from tears, light bags forming under her eyes from lack of sleep.

A cup of water was resting in her hands, which he could see were still somewhat shaking. He had seen her earlier when he arrived at the hospital, following along behind the ambulance and refusing to stay at the site of the incident for police officers to ask him questions. He called his parents in the car while he drove. When he passed through the doors, he caught site of Rebecca at the same time the stretcher entered. He could see the mixture of confusion, then utter terror spread across her face when Ian was rushed down the hallway. It wasn't too long after that she went into a fearful and emotional panic as other medical officials held her back from entering the ER unit.

"Good... I was worried about you as well. I... had no idea you would be there... I'm quite thankful that you were." She stated with a grateful smile. "I will properly thank you later, I promise."

"It's fine... I would've done it for anyone..." William stated modestly.

"Rebecca, let me talk to you for a second in private..." Boris stated politely, distracting her and William.

"Alright... William, feel free to step in and see Ian. He's probably still sleeping, but it's fine to do so." She stated, waving him in before she stepped away down the hall with Boris.

Not taking a moment to waste a second of this opportunity, William excused himself by stepping into the room. It was like day leading into night; the soft glow of the lights from the hallway only reaching so far into the room before it was covered in darkness. William really didn't want to wake Ian, knowing that he needed the proper rest. But, a part of him was dying to see his eyes once again. The last time he had been able to stare into them intently was before he departed for the dance. His chest ached at the realization, wondering if he had just declined the offer in the beginning, maybe none of this would've happened.

Standing near the bedside, William gazed down towards Ian calmly, an imaginary weight being lifted off his shoulders at the sight. Ian was rather angelic when he slept, at least that was what William felt as he studied the curves of his face, resisting the urge to trace the contours of Ian's features with a finger lightly. Glancing over towards the doorway, he could see that Rebecca and Boris were still away from the entrance, quietly talking among themselves in the hallway.

"Hey..." William stated quietly, a tired smile coming to his face. He knew Ian was lost in unconsciousness, not expecting him to respond at all. "I know you're sleeping... and that's fine. I'd rather you get some rest. But... I'm glad to see you are all right..." he spoke, a sigh being heard soon after. "I have a lot that I need to say..."

Knowing that he needed to return to his own room, quite sure that his father would be hunting for him throughout the hospital pretty soon, William saved is words and decided to keep them to himself. "We... can talk later... when you're better. Don't go and do anything crazy until then. I don't know if I can be around you all the time. But... I'll try..." He was at a lost for words, knowing that it was quite useless to be talking to a sleeping individual. But just seeing Ian lying here in such a peaceful manner, and alive due to his own quick thinking, was enough to make him horribly emotional. He had almost lost the one person he cared so strongly for, having nearly missed the chance to tell him how he _truly_ felt.

Yet, he knew one thing he could do to reassure not only himself, but maybe Ian as well. Taking one more final glance towards the doorway, seeing that it was indeed still clear, William reached over to cautiously lift the mask from around Ian's mouth. As gently as he could, he leaned over to place his warm lips against Ian's cold but delicate ones, only lingering there for a few seconds before he pulled away slowly. Even though a reaction wasn't expected, William couldn't help but gaze over Ian's face longingly.

"Maybe... we can try that again... when you're awake..." William whispered with a saddened smile, before placing the mask back over Ian's mouth carefully. Having gotten everything out that he could for that moment, William quietly made his way back out of the room, not looking back as he exited into the hallway. _That will do for now... I can wait a bit longer..._ he thought to himself, knowing that there was still much more that he needed to face before he could actually talk to Ian freely about his own thoughts and emotions, and possibly hear Ian's as well.

Had he stayed just a few seconds longer, he would've caught sight of a pair of familiar blue eyes opening slowly in surprise. Silently, they watched William depart from the room completely, leaving them alone in the darkness. The heart monitor picked up its pace very slowly as they stared off towards the light peeking in from the hallway in a yearning manner. A hand gripped the sheets beneath them painfully, an emotional ache stinging at their heart. If only Ian had been able to speak, the only thing he would've asked for was for William to stay by his side for as long as possible. 

-

A/N

Long time, no speak.

I hope everyone is ok, as well as enjoying the story. 

I haven't had much time to write up an author's note, as things changed throughout the month of July. But, now we're in August and things have finally settled for me. The story gets very interesting from here on out. 

Let me know what you think. I always enjoy comments.

And again, thanks for reading. See you next week. 


	21. Chapter 21

"So, that's all you saw?" Robert asked, a puzzled frown resting on his face as he stared back at the young man sitting across from him.

"Yes. I honestly did not see anything before they had fallen into the pool." William stated calmly, staring back towards the detective.

"Alright, Will. That's all I really need from you. Honestly, you're not really going to end up being any kind of a witness in this case." Robert spoke with a sigh, closing his notebook.

"Why do you say that, Rob?" Charles asked, inquisitive.

"Well Charlie, William didn't see the actual fight, where as a lot of the other kids I questioned did and let me tell you... there was obviously some history between the two..."

"Why... do you think that...?" William asked, rather curious.

"I honestly cannot tell you that, Will. Since Mrs. Crowley is pressing charges against Mr. Florence, I can't really disclose the information openly. She's trying to get him to talk, but Ian won't really respond. Poor kid is probably traumatized..." Robert stated, shaking his head at the thought.

"Does she have a lawyer?" Charles questioned. "And I mean a _good_ lawyer..."

Robert laughed, getting to his feet as he lightly pushed the chair back with the heels of his feet. "No clue. Maybe you should give her an offer. You're a damn good prosecutor."

"Well... I could. It would be rather nice to make Alan look like a fool because of his son..." Charles stated with a grin, before he glanced over towards William, who had been eyeing him in suspicion. "Of course, that's not why I would offer my services. I'm really serious about her having a decent lawyer. Alan has plenty of money to buy a top-notch defendant attorney. They can make that kid look as innocent as a 3 year old child and it won't do her or Ian any good."

"Could... you talk to her, dad?" William asked, his tone rather concerned.

"I could give it a shot... honestly, it really depends on what Ian wants to do. Is he not talking to anyone, Robert?" Charles asked, having gotten to his feet as well.

"Not really. He's home now. He was released from the hospital two days ago. I went over to discuss the case and such with his mother and he was holed up in his room. She doesn't seem very healthy either. She looks as if she's barely gotten any sleep." Robert spoke with a shrug, making his way towards the door and holding it open for the other two.

"Well, while she can certainly press charges because she is his parent and Ian is a minor, if he doesn't speak up and provide evidence or his side of the story, it's just going to make Blake look even more innocent." Charles stated, heading out of the conference room.

"He's not innocent." William stated with a scoff, before he looked up to see the older men staring at him in confusion. "I... just don't think he is... from observation..." William added quickly, not wanting to appear as if he knew anymore than he did. He was still trying to piece together the information that he had gathered from Blake during their time in the waiting room. While Blake certainly didn't give any grave detail, William had known that something drastic had occurred between Ian and himself. What William was dying to know was _what_ had happened.

"Anyone can see that, Will." Charles stated with a smile. "I'm sure Ian will come around. He's probably just exhausted and confused. I could speak to his mother. It wouldn't hurt anything."

"Good luck either way. She's a bit skeptical at the moment with anyone she's not familiar with." Robert stated with a soft sigh. "But thanks for stopping by. Sorry I had you skip out on training for it, Will."

"It's fine, Mr. Moseley. Glad I could help." William stated with a polite smile.

"I'll keep in touch, Rob." Charles stated, waving a hand as he exited the police station with his son next to him.

"Are we heading home?" William asked, zipping up his jacket once they had stepped out onto the stone staircase.

"Not yet.... I think I would like to pay Mrs. Crowley a visit... If that's ok with you." Charles stated, looking over to William for confirmation.

"Sure... that's fine." William answered, not expecting that to ever come about. While he had been curious to visit Ian when he had gotten word of him being released, he was wary of what he would see. He expected Ian to be distant and recluse, yet he didn't think it would be as bad as him refusing to leave his own room.

Being in class earlier that morning was painful, many students having spread the incident all over the school. Though William had received many praises and admiring words, he was more baffled by the sudden care and worry for Ian's condition from other classmates. Many of them had asked teachers if it would be possible to send "Get Well" cards and flowers. It irritated him, because he knew it was all a show of fake kindness. Had they really cared, they wouldn't have let Ian get tortured and bullied in the first place.

Blake was suspended from school for 2 weeks, along with a few others, for creating and attending an underage drinking party, as well as his actions during the incident. Brad was among those students, however his suspension was only for 3 days. For once, William had to admit that he actually missed Brad's presence, just a bit. He was surprised at the words he had spoken at the hospital, along with the genuine concern on his face. Maybe, William hoped, Brad would learn to accept Ian's existence without holding him guilty for something in the past. Trying to clear his mind for their drive, William sat in the passengers seat quietly while his father drove out of the parking lot towards a familiar area.

-

He was much more content when the sun had finally set. The darkness in his room was rather pleasing instead of the illumination that emitted through the windows, no matter how thick his curtains were. It reminded him of the hospital room he resided in for 3 days. The silence was peaceful and welcoming. He rested against a pillow that was propped against a headboard as he attempted to try and draft something in a blank sketchpad that rested on his lap. His mother had purchased it for him when he had been released, thinking that maybe he could use some stress relief. But he couldn't think of anything to draw.

Nothing caught Ian's attention. The sanctity of his bedroom was all he could tolerate for now. He had even locked Forest out of the bedroom in order to have complete solitude. Ian barely ate anything in the past day, as his appetite was still nonexistent. The only time he left the room was to use the toilet and to speak to his mother. She wasn't even allowed to enter the room without him opening the door for her. At this point, she gave Ian his space, no matter how much it was hurting her.

His blue eyes had been shielded behind heavy eyelids as he listened carefully to everything around him. He eventually turned off his phone, in order to have true seclusion from the world. Another reason for the act was the fact that Blake had actually sent him several text messages. He refused to answer, let alone read them. Just the thought of the other male caused his breathing to roughen. He kept his mind as empty as possible, this causing the lack of inspiration to form through his fingers onto paper.

However, is ears had soon picked up the sound of a doorbell, his eyes opening slowly to stare towards his bedroom door, as if he could see everything unfolding from his room.

-

Rebecca quickly made her way towards the door, a bit surprised that someone would be visiting. She peeked out the curtain in her living room, in case it was someone she did not want to speak with. But, when she saw William standing there, she immediately rushed to the door and opened it.

"William!" she stated with a happy smile. "It's good to see you!"

"Hello, Mrs. Crowley." William stated, returning to smile in a bashful manner. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm good. How are you? Feeling better?" she asked, moving aside to let him in, before her eyes set on the man next to him in confusion.

"I'm good... Ah, that's my dad, Charles Livingston." William spoke, glancing over his shoulder as he watched his father pass through the doorway.

"Hello. Nice to meet you." Charles stated, extending his hand politely.

"Ah, hello..." Rebecca spoke softly, rather surprised. "My... I see where William gets his looks from..." she stated, a small blush coming to her face as she did so.

"Why thanks! For some reason, his mother thinks William got it from her." Charles stated with a laugh, hearing Rebecca do the same.

"Please have a seat anywhere. Would you like something to drink?" she asked, closing the door behind them.

"I think we're good..." Charles stated, glancing over to William to see him nod in agreement. "I hate to stop by so suddenly, but I wanted to know if... it would be possible to talk amongst ourselves?"

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, escorting them towards the living room before sitting in the lush loveseat.

"Well, William and I just left the police station, as he needed to be questioned about the party..." Charles stated, only to see Rebecca's eyes light up in awareness.

"Did... you see what happened, William?" Rebecca quickly asked, looking over towards him.

"Ah, sadly... I didn't... I only saw them when they fell into the pool..." William stated hesitantly, seeing her expression sadden slowly. "I'm sorry..."

"Oh, it's fine." She spoke with a small smile. "I'm... just trying to figure out... what happened. Ian won't talk to me..."

William could notice the worry and desperation in her voice, not really sure how to comfort her in this situation. He could see what Robert had mentioned earlier; Rebecca's normally cheery and lively face was exhibiting tired eyes and stress. He could only imagine how she was feeling during this time of confusion and helplessness.

"Did he tell you anything at all?" Charles asked, rather concerned.

"No... He will not talk to me. I've tried everything I could, really. I don't even think he's been drawing. When he actually leaves his room to wash up, I take a peek inside.... It's rather dark and... silent. He doesn't even eat... I know that's not good for him, but I don't want to force him to do anything, in case I have to take him back to the hospital because of anxiety." Rebecca stated, her voice straining slightly in frustration.

"Can... I try?" William requested, a bit surprised at himself for even asking. While the thought had crossed his mind, he wasn't quite sure if he would actually be able to break through to Ian or not. It certainly didn't hurt anything to attempt.

Rebecca looked over towards him, a bit of hope showing on her face. "If... you would like. I think it could help..." she stated, a smile appearing afterwards.

"Give it shot, Will. It gives me some time to talk with Mrs. Crowley for a bit." Charles stated, seeing his son carefully get to his feet.

"Call me, Rebecca..." she stated with a wave of her hand. "And please... feel free, William. Don't be offended if he doesn't let you in..."

"I won't." William proclaimed, making his way out of the living room and down the familiar hallway. Before he took another step, he noticed Forest quietly resting along a wall, a soft meow being heard at the sight of William. He carefully bent down to pet the feline on the head gently, a sad smile appearing onto his face. "He locked you out too?" he asked quietly, hearing the animal purr in response.

_Let... me see if... I can fix this..._

As if the hallway had been extended from the last time he had visited, William walked down towards the familiar door that rested on the right side. It was very quiet the further down he went, barely hearing the gentle conversation of his father and Rebecca in the living room. He drew in a slow breath as he finally found himself standing in front of the door. He was rather nervous, not really sure what to expect. Ian could easily reject him without a second thought, which would damage him more than anything else in the world. If the one person he promised to protect had turned him away without him giving the chance of providing aid, then nothing else would really matter.

He carefully pulled a hand up and knocked softly, his heartbeat stopping as he waited in silence, unable to hear anything on the other side of the door. William stood there for a few seconds, which seemed like minutes, almost pleading with his mind for Ian to open it. 

_Ian... Let me see you..._ he begged mentally, his heart sinking at the lack of response.

A small exhale escaped past his lips as he had given up, his gaze dropping to the floor in sheer disappointment. "Alright..." he stated to himself softly. "It's ok." He turned on his heel to make his way down the hallway once again, figuring that it was a lost cause.

"Wait."

He heard a voice speak in a muffled manner from the other side of the door. William looked over his shoulder quickly at the noise, stopping where he was as he caught the sound of a lock clicking, before he watched the doorknob turn carefully. He turned around completely when he saw the door separating from the frame, the light from the hallway he was standing in forcing its way into the darkness. His hazel green eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of a familiar set of blue eyes that emerged from the room, a rather tired Ian standing in the doorway.

"You can come in..." Ian stated softly, his eyes resting on the floor beneath him as he spoke.

Rather speechless, William's mind had to force his body to move closer towards the door. Making his way past the doorframe, as his arm had gently brushed against Ian's, as he was soon in the unsettling location of Ian's bedroom, his ears picking up the sound of the door shutting behind him in a gentle manner. 


	22. Chapter 22

The sound of the door shutting was enough to remind him of where he had arrived. Once again, William found himself in the sanctity of Ian's room, however it wasn't as welcoming and magical as before. The room was dimly lit; a small lamp resting on a nightstand was on the lowest setting. He could barely make out the objects in the room. He caught sight of the ruffled bed, but nothing more.

"Let me... straighten the room..." Ian stated softly, moving in front of William to stop him from walking any further. He reached over to carefully press the button on the lamp, the light becoming brighter to illuminate the whole area. It wasn't a horrible mess, save for his book bag and its contents being scattered on the floor and a sketchbook open on the bed.

But when William his eyes had fully adjusted and set on Ian, it took every ounce of his body to not reach out and pull him into a warm embrace. Ian was slim, but it appeared as if he had lost a few pounds over the past couple of days. His shirt seemed to be a bit baggy as it hung on his arms and shoulders, and his pajama shorts did not seem to fit him as properly. His eyes appeared dark and sunken, giving William the impression that he hadn't been sleeping well, if at all. Tying this in with his recent condition, Ian appeared to be a complete wreck.

"You can... have a seat in the computer chair..." Ian spoke; motioning for William to enter the room completely as he carefully took a seat on his bed, not too far from where William would be sitting. His gaze continued to rest on the floor beneath him, as if he couldn't find the confidence to actually look William in the eyes. Again, the unsettled emotions he had felt before resurfaced. Ian was trying to figure out why he even let William in. This world that he had created in his room was for his own comfort; no one else's. Yet, when he heard William speak on the other side of the door after that gentle knock, his heart leaped in wanting. He wasn't fully comfortable being alone in a room with someone else, but he had to remind himself that William was different.

"How... are you feeling?" William asked, almost forcing it out in order to break the silence that had formed between them. This was going to be much harder than he had expected. He wasn't sure just _what_ he could talk to Ian about, besides the obvious topics that had been plaguing everyone's minds. But he would have to build up to them in a slow manner, as to not scare Ian or make him uncomfortable.

"I'm... tired..." Ian stated with a wary smile, his hands carefully shuffling together in his lap.

"I'm sorry. You could've just told me to leave..." William spoke, feeling even guiltier for his intrusion.

"It's alright." Ian proclaimed quickly. "I haven't been sleeping anyway..."

"That's not good. You really need the rest..." William responded, his voice filled with concern.

A small laugh escaped Ian at the statement, the same smile from earlier resting on his face. "You're always like that..."

A frowned formed on William's face, his eyebrows meeting in the middle. "Like what?"

"Worried. You're always very concerned about me." Ian stated calmly. "I'm still trying to understand... why."

"Because..." William spoke before his voice trailed off, not entirely certain on what type of answer to give him. He had thought that he had already explained this to Ian a month ago in the art room. However, he could understand the uncertainty and confusion that Ian may have been facing during that time frame, along with what seemed like many other problems.

"Because... what?" Ian asked, his voice becoming clearer as his eyes had finally moved to stare at William carefully, his expression filled with eagerness. He had been thinking over the same event, along with what had occurred just a few days ago. From William bringing him back to life after his drowning, to the brief moment that their lips had touched in the hospital room during his sleep, Ian had been trying to solve the riddles that had taken over his mind. While he was a mess in the situation between Blake, William had been the one person that was driving him insane.

William's eyes moved to stare into the familiar spheres of blue adjacent from his own. He could see the mixture of emotions within them and it made him ache in guilt. He was starting to think that it would've been better to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself. His own contemplations of how he felt about Ian had been plaguing him for weeks, keeping him up at night with vivid fantasies that even he wouldn't dare share with anyone. But, he was beginning to see the same thing reflecting in Ian's eyes. Was it fair of him to apply such pressure on Ian when he wasn't even fully sure himself?

"I... told you already..." William stated hesitantly, his gaze averting from Ian's completely.

"I know that, Will..." Ian spoke softly, his eyes shifting to try and capture William's hazel orbs again. "But, it doesn't... seem that way..."

William's eyes moved quickly to settle on Ian, a brief look of fear crossing his face before he tried to speak. "Why do... you say that?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Ian swallowed quietly, as if his mouth had suddenly became dry. He wasn't in any shape for a conflict and he wasn't entirely sure on how William would react. But, at this point, he didn't have anything to lose. William would either tell him the truth, or deny it and retreat from the room without another thought. "You told me... that you wanted to protect me," Ian stated, clearing his throat before he continued. "But, that gave me the impression... that you just wanted a close friendship of some kind. Yet... it was very silly of me to think that..."

William remained silent, his eyes carefully fixated on Ian just several feet away from him. He was certain that Ian was indeed confused on what he told him earlier and he could blame himself for that. But, he didn't expect it to be this conflicting. He expected Ian to just toss the issue away and not question it. A friendship would be good for him, even though that wasn't what he truly wanted. But, as long as he was close enough, it would've kept William content. But now, he didn't really know.

"Will..." Ian stated, his voice much more solid than before. "Why... did you kiss me in the hospital room?"

It felt as if time had suddenly stopped, the room and all its contents slowly disappearing from around them. A rather surprised expression rested on William's face as he stared at Ian, speechless. Now, ironically, he could imagine how Ian must've felt when he told him that he looked in his small sketchbook: shocked, fearful and utterly confused. All of those emotions had run through his body in one swift movement, his heartbeat increasing with each one. _How... How did he...?_ He actually had to blink, just to make sure that he was still alive.

The sudden silence was enough to make Ian continue. "You... don't want to be a 'good friend,' do you?" he asked, his voice somewhat shaking at the revelation of his question.

"Ian... just... let me explain..." William finally spoke quickly, rather nervous.

"There's nothing to explain, Will." Ian stated, a broken smile on his face as he gazed down at his hands, which were now shaking violently. "It's alright... I understand it now..."

"I... I don't think you do." William proclaimed, shaking his head in denial. "I may have confused you or something... I should've been more... open..."

"No, Will. I _do_ understand it." Ian spoke, a soft sigh following afterwards. His hands soon tightened into fists on his lap as he drew in breath. "I understand it... because... I've felt the same way... for a long time."

"The same way?" William asked, making sure he had indeed heard correctly.

A shaky exhale could be heard from Ian before he looked up to face William once again, a complacent smile resting on his face. "I... I love you, Will."

William felt as if something had just punched him in the chest from how badly it was stinging from that recognizable pain. Instead of it being a building torture, it came in full force, his heart suddenly working nonstop with each emotion that darted through him. At this moment, they were linked on sentiments. He wasn't crazy and obsessive, or uncertain and confused. Right now, everything appeared to make perfect sense. Having expressed himself to the best of his ability, it was returned from the one person that mattered. A light laugh of disbelief could be heard, a baffled smile coming to his face. "Really...?" he asked, not really sure if he could keep himself composed.

Pleasant warmth was building within Ian as he watched the wave of expressions pass on William's face, a smile still appearing. "Yes. I'm pretty sure about it..." he stated softly.

"You... have no... idea how.... _glad..._ I am to hear you say it." William proclaimed, a joyful smile refusing to leave his face as he felt something lift from his shoulders, some form of a weight having been removed from him completely. All of the uncertainty and conflicted thoughts had began to slowly disappear from his mind, the clouds that had settled suddenly moving from his mind as he finally had a definite answer to his questions. However, his excitement was short lived as he caught sight of the sudden sadness crossing Ian's face. "What? What's wrong?" he asked, wondering if he had spoken too soon.

His eyes still rested on William carefully, yet they were slowly beginning to sting at the corners. "I... I don't think you... would feel the same... after what's happened..." Ian stated, trying to stop his voice from breaking at that moment.

"What... are you talking about?" William asked, uncertain of what Ian was mentioning, before something had clicked in his head; the topic that he had avoided speaking on since he walked into the room. "You mean... what happened between you and Blake?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to press the issue too much.

As soon as he heard William ask the question, Ian's eyes moved away. He had gotten to his feet quickly, making his way over towards a corner of the room, just to keep a distance for the time being. "Did he tell you?" he asked, his voice filled with fear and confusion. "Did he tell you _everything_?"

William, studying Ian from across the room, slowly got to his feet, but stayed where he was. "No... he didn't tell me anything." He stated in a gentle manner. "He... He only hinted about it. But, I already knew something was... wrong, Ian. It doesn't matter."

"It _does_ matter." Ian shot back quickly, his tone threatening as he was trying his best to hold back tears. "You... You don't know what he did to me, Will. I... I don't want you to know."

"Why...?" William asked, his eyes searching Ian's face as he tried to figure it out himself. He took a step forward, only to see Ian press his back against a wall, shaking his head at the action.

"You'll be disgusted with me. You won't feel the same as before. I know it." Ian stated hurriedly, his voice softly breaking as he held himself in that corner, his gaze on the floor.

"Ian, you don't know that." William stated firmly, not sure how else he could possibly reassure him. This was exactly what he had feared would happen. Ian would become even more distant, without him being able to get a full story from him in the process. He didn't want Ian to lash out at him, as that would draw attention from the parents in the living room. Right now, he wanted Ian to tell him everything without interruptions. He wanted to actually protect him like he promised.

"Yes, I _do._ " Ian spoke with a soft cry, tears having finally escaped from his eyes. "Blake, he... he did the most... horrible things to me..." he stated in-between slight breaths. "Things you wouldn't approve of... You wouldn't feel the same about me if I told you..."

"Don't _say_ that." William spoke, his voice stern but filled with worry. Even if he was met with retaliation, he made his way over to the other male so quick, that even Ian didn't know he was there until he felt William's hands upon his arms. "I don't care, Ian. If I did, I wouldn't be in this room with you. I knew he did... something horrible to you, but I just didn't know _what_. I don't give a shit about it. To me, you are still the same person that I've been obsessed with for months. You drive me _insane_... but it's not the same way as Blake. It's not, I swear."

"You don't know that..." Ian stated, staring up into William's eyes in disbelief. "How could you still love someone who was forced to place the same lips you kissed on... on..." It was as if his mind had stopped processing his thought for a brief moment, his words stopping short as the scenes replayed in his head again; each time in Blake's room and the kiss William gave him in the hospital room. One act was of pure dominance and torture; the other was of sheer love and affection. He almost wanted to erase them both from his mind, as to not connect them together in anyway.

Yet, his mind had soon gone blank as he felt familiar warmth on his lips. William had brought him back to reality with a forced, but passionate filled kiss, his face being held by the same hands that had been gripped onto his arms. His body had gone ridged from shock; his eyes wide open yet didn't stare at anything in particular. That longing feeling from before, during the time in the hospital room, came flooding back as he slowly felt his body relax and surrender completely. After a few more seconds, he watched William carefully pull away, the soft noise of two sets of lips having been locked sounding gently in the room. Blinking slowly, as if they had disappeared for a moment, Ian gazed up into William's eyes, seeing genuine affection within them.

"I... don't care... where those lips have been..." William stated quietly, a thumb rubbing against Ian's bottom lip carefully. "I can easily clean them off with my own."

Sudden warmth had rushed onto Ian's face, his cheeks showing a light color of pink, rather bashful from an open statement of such caliber. Yet, he could tell William was sincere and confident with it all. He had been able to recognize it early on. Instead of him reflecting a sense of disgust and anger when he had found his sketchbook, William had expressed curiosity and honesty. Even from the time of him visiting his home, he could convey that William wasn't any form of a threat. His growing affection and care was because of the deep emotion that had built over time, and Ian wasn't doing either of them any good by trying to battle it within himself.

Instead of being fearful of the unfamiliar thoughts whenever Ian was within his eyesight, or their bodies were close, William wanted to learn how to enjoy the moment and let natural reactions come with ease. Right now, touching and kissing Ian in a loving manner seemed fitting than anything else in the world.

"I... want to fix everything." William spoke softly, taking the same thumb to wipe any remaining tears from Ian's face as his eyes studied him carefully. "Tell me... you want me to fix it all."

As much as Ian wanted to keep his mouth shut, there was no denying that the longing he had was not only for affection, but some form of salvation. He couldn't trust anyone else to understand the situation, not even his own mother. Someone who could relate to Blake and could grasp his twisted motives would know how to react and fight back. With that motion set in his mind, he knew William would be the one person to do just that.

"... fix it." Ian finally responded softly, a shaken sigh following not too long after. "Please, just... make it go away..." he quietly added, his eyes closing tightly as he tried to hold back even more tears.

Another kiss came soon after, much more gentle and affectionate than the first. It felt so _right_. Instead of a shocked and out-of-world experience, Ian could feel the rest of his body heating up at the contact, not helping but to return the act in the same manner. There wasn't a hint of hesitation or reluctance as he pressed his own lips back against William's warm and eager ones. Even if he didn't want to admit it, those same lips had been vivid within his own fantasies and he had never imagined that they would feel as wonderful as this. Ian shut his mind off, his arms instinctively reaching up to wrap around William's neck, pulling him in further.

That simple act was enough to break any barrier of composure that William had hidden away from the first kiss. His hands had carefully made their way behind Ian's back, grasping onto his shoulders as he pulled him closer, wanting to feel the warmth against his own body. He had been aching for the same connection for so long that he didn't think he would be capable of holding himself back anymore. The hands that were once tightened on the shirt had slowly began to wander to memorize every shape and detail of Ian's body through clothing. Fingers grazed along his lower back before they had locked onto his hips, drawing him in.

The contact was beginning to wash away any form of doubt and paranoia that had built up within his mind as Ian's own hands had found their way into William's hair, his fingers finally getting the opportunity to get lost within the long ebony strands. Nothing else seemed to matter. For Ian, it was as if the world had stopped moving for just a brief moment and he had plenty of time to enjoy it. He gave a gentle sigh as he felt the kiss deepen, more so encouraging William to go as far as he wanted. Even when he felt the wetness of a tongue against his bottom lip, Ian didn't waste any time to open his mouth and allow William in.

All form of sense had disappeared at the invitation, William wrapping his arms around Ian's waist as the simple kisses had grown into long, sensual entwines of lips and tongues. The sudden rush had caused them to both stumble against the nearby wall in a clumsy manner, yet they stayed locked throughout the process. At the sound of muffled moans and tightening of fingers grasping onto his hair, William felt the a stirring from in-between his legs come to full attention.

It didn't go completely unnoticed, Ian feeling a growing bulge against his thigh. Now that same warm feeling in the pit of his stomach was building to a heated fire; the fact that William was actually aroused causing his own flaccid cock to respond in a similar manner. He could feel his head starting to spin, but he wasn't sure from what. Everything just seemed to come naturally; the eagerness from William as well as his own, the sounds of their breath quietly echoing in the room, the sounds of hands ruffling against clothing and skin, the growing friction as they tried to bring their bodies even closer together from their growing erections. He couldn't even hold himself back from letting out a soft cry when William had broken their obsessive kiss just to lean down and bite him against his neck, before licking and sucking ever so gently against the skin.

But a sudden knock at the door had brought them back to reality very quickly, causing them to both jump and gasp softly at the sound.

"William...? Everything all right?" a muffled voice asked on the other side of the door.

Shocked, as well as shaken, they stared back towards each other in silence. William's eyes searched through Ian's, only to see the same surprised and longing expression. "Give... wait...." William whispered, slowly pulling away from Ian. Taking a deep breath, William had begun to straighten himself carefully before glancing across the room. "Yes, one second." He stated clearly, enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear. He looked over towards Ian, seeing him keep his gaze averted to the floor. "Don't... think that was wrong." He stated softly, only to see Ian look up at him in silence. "I'll be right back. I _mean_ that _._ " He quickly turned on his heel and made his way over towards the door, before opening it and closing it gently behind him.

When he emerged from the room, he saw his father as well as Rebecca standing outside, a rather concern look on her face.

"Is... he actually... speaking to you?" she asked, hope in her voice.

William, having not been prepared for such an interaction, had cleared his throat, trying not to seem suspicious. "Yes... he is talking with me." He stated, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, thank goodness." Rebecca spoke with a sigh, a bright smile not helping to appear.

"Well, that's some progress..." his father stated, somewhat surprised as well a slightly proud. "Do you think he'll be able to talk to anyone else eventually?"

"Um... I'm not entirely sure.... We haven't been talking that long..." William stated as he rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness. But, an idea had soon crossed his mind that would not only give him the opportunity to talk but also spend private time with Ian, hopefully, without interruptions. "Do... you think it would be ok if I stayed over?"

-

A/N

Apologies for the delay in my posting. I was feeling ill over the weekend and needed the time to recover. I'm feeling much better and wanted to make sure I posted an update as soon as I could. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next couple of chapters are going to be... very fun. 

Have a good rest of the week. 


	23. Chapter 23

The muffled sound of voices on the other side of the door was making him rather uneasy. Having calmed his beating heart down, he found the ability to move his once shaky legs to walk towards his bed. Remaining quiet, Ian took a seat onto the cloth-covered mattress, his mind still in a muddled haze as he tried to figure out what had just happened. His hands began to shuffle together nervously in his lap, his brows scrunching at the ends to meet in the middle as his mind replayed the images in his head. The more he thought about it, the easier it was to become just as aroused before. He could feel his cheeks heating once again, before he reached both of his hands up to cover his face entirely.

 _God... what... just happened?_ He was still trying to piece together every detail, wondering what he could've done to cause such a thing to occur. It certainly was welcomed, in fact he had been longing for it for weeks at this point. But, it was rushed and unexpected, as well as somewhat unfitting, considering his current situation. There was still much more to be discussed about his conflict with Blake and William was not aware of all that had transpired. Even though Ian was not fully settled on the idea of sharing such graphic detail, he needed to get it out in the open to someone. Maybe the physical contact was some form of comfort. As long as it stayed at those measures, long passionate kisses and embraces, then Ian could handle it.

After a few minutes had passed, he was beginning to think that the slight noise they had made against the wall had alerted their parents, and William was getting questioned about its source. He could only imagine what William was trying to come up with to cover their fiery make-out session. However, the sound of the doorknob twisting had caught Ian's attention, his eyes shooting over to see William emerging from behind the door.

Closing the door behind him softly, William looked over towards the bed, surprised to see that Ian had actually moved. He was still trying to find the composure to walk.

"What... did they say?" Ian asked quietly, his eyes gazing over William carefully.

"They... just asked if everything was ok." William stated with a sigh, moving over to take a seat in the computer chair once again.

"I see..." Ian stated, not helping but to sigh in relief.

"And... I'm staying the night." William added, closing his eyes as if to prepare for a drastic reaction.

While Ian's reaction was drastic, it wasn't the kind William was thinking of. Ian's eyes stared back towards William in utter shock and confusion, the tinted pink from before having become a full red across his face. "Wha.... _what?_ " he asked, his voice straining slightly at the end.

William opened an eye, wincing at the tone of Ian's voice as he looked over to see the baffled expression on his face. "Well... your mom was worried about you and suggested that I come speak with you. So, I told her that we had been talking and she was very happy..."

"How... does this link to... you staying the night?" Ian asked, blinking several times as that statement processed through his mind once again.

"I suggested that I stay the night so that I could talk to you more." William spoke quickly, forcing the rest of it out.

Not expecting such an outcome to arise from William disappearing for a few minutes, Ian leaned over and planted his face against his thighs, more so to hide the growing blush that refused to leave his face.

"I'm sorry. I should've asked first, but I didn't really know what to say in order to keep them from asking what was going on." William protested, not wanting Ian to be uncomfortable and upset with him at the idea. "They heard a noise and wondered if everything was ok... I didn't want them to get suspicious."

"It's... fine..." Ian stated in a muffled manner, refusing to lift his head up. The fact that William would be _staying the night_ in his room with him was enough to make him incredibly nervous, as well as excited. They did not have a guest room in their home, so the only place that William would be was his room. He could easily see the situation now: His mother would pull out an air mattress that she had stored in a linen closet, fill it up and grab a set of sheets, pillow and a comforter for William to rest on. He would gaze down at night to see William sleeping on the floor next to his bed. Ian knew he would not be able to sleep, since he would be too fascinated with how serene and lovely William would look as he slept.

A soft groan of frustration escaped from him, before he carefully lifted his head, his face still a slight pink from embarrassment. "What... did my mother say?" he asked, clearing his throat as he did so.

William gazed over Ian's expression, not sure if his face was red from anger or bashfulness. But, not wanting to press the current issue further, he decided to ignore it for now. "She stated that she would be gathering an air mattress and some bedding and bringing it in an hour or so. She's still talking with my dad. I have some spare clothes in my book bag, since I like to keep extra after practice... so... I'm pretty much... staying."

A single nod was given in response, Ian's lips sealed shut to save himself from even more embarrassment. "Ok..."

"Sorry..." William stated once again, feeling rather guilty for his lofty decision. "If you're that uncomfortable, I can always just leave. Seriously, I'll understand."

"It's fine, really." Ian protested softly, a small smile on his face. "I think... this is a good idea."

-

Once his father had left the house, William had found himself carrying a pile of sheets, pillows and a lush comforter in his hands as he followed along behind Rebecca quietly.

"And we'll keep Forest out of Ian's room. I would hate for you to end up with a black cat sleeping all over you at night." She stated with a laugh as she carried the flaccid air mattress in her hands, as well as an air pump.

"Thanks... I'm sure I wouldn't mind it, but it's probably smart." William spoke, shifting the weight in his arms.

Ian had been quietly cleaning his room, making it more hospitable for a guest. He had actually left the room once William had returned to the living room to bid his father farewell to grab the vacuum and a duster. If William was going to be staying overnight, then Ian wanted to make sure that his room looked as welcoming as possible.

"Well... I'm surprised to see Ian actually leaving his room, and cleaning for that matter..." Rebecca stated with a small laugh, but it was more of a relieved act. "Did you want to set up everything or should I?"

"I can do it..." Ian spoke softly, gently taking the air mattress and pump from his mother's arms. "Go relax... I can tell you're tired..."

Leaning over, Rebecca placed a small kiss on her son's forehead, before she reached to caress his face gently. "I'm going to be tired for a while longer, Ian. I still have a lot of work to do for you. By the way, William, I'm quite glad that your father is willing to help out. I honestly need all the help I can get right now."

"It's not a problem, I'm sure." William proclaimed, placing the materials down onto the bed. "When he gets an opportunity like this, my dad gets pretty well-involved and serious. You guys are in good hands, I promise."

"Oh, I'm sure of it." Rebecca stated with a bright smile, before something vibrated in her pants pocket. She reached in and revealed a cell phone, looking at the screen to see who it was that had messaged her. Not too long after, a light blush had appeared across her own face, before she placed the phone back into her pocket. "Well... I'll leave you two boys alone. Please, feel free to come get me if you need anything."

"Its fine, mom. I can take over from here." Ian insisted gently, kneeling down onto the floor to prepare William's bed.

"Ok... I'll be in my bedroom. Have a good night." She spoke, before exiting the room and closing it behind her.

Once again, the two of them were left alone for a long period of time and there was a guarantee of no interruptions. It didn't hit William until a bit later to realize that he would be in the same room as Ian _for an entire night_. Considering that for the past few weeks, during their period of distancing from each other, William had been masturbating at least 10 times a week, he wasn't sure how he would be able to handle sleeping in the same area with the person he had been picturing in the most explicit ways. Just the thought of seeing Ian in any of those forms was enough to get him hard. Trying to control his arousal, so that Ian didn't catch sight of it, he readied himself with the sheets, grabbing a pillow and placing a cover over it.

"I hope its full enough..." Ian stated as he watched the mattress inflate carefully, glancing over at the pressure gauge. "The suggested amount seems too low...."

"I'm sure it's fine like that. I've slept on the floor before, so cushion of any kind is pretty good for me." William joked, seeing Ian laugh in return.

"Well, I would hate for you to wake up with a sore back or something. Can you hand me the sheets?" Ian asked, as he gathered the materials together and stowed them away, reaching over to grab the cloth from William's hands.

"I haven't slept over at anyone's house in a while, so I'm sure I'll be a little tense. It's nothing to worry about. I can always stretch them out." William stated as he stuffed another pillow into a cover.

Carefully placing the bedding over the mattress, Ian had prepared a suitable enough bed for William to rest on before he got to his feet. "Well, I wish we had a foldable mattress instead. At least you would be resting on a frame and box spring."

"Seriously, this will do, Ian. As long as I have a pillow and blanket, I'm pretty much able to sleep through anything." William insisted with a smile, placing the pillows down onto the mattress.

"Ok, I'll drop the subject..." Ian stated softly, taking a seat onto his bed once again. He glanced over towards his nightstand, seeing that the clock had now read 9:15pm. "Did... you want to get some rest? I know you have to go to school tomorrow? Did you have any homework?"

William gazed down towards Ian, a smile still resting on his face. "My homework can wait. I can always do it before school starts." He stated, his hands moving to sink into his pants pockets. "And I'm not tired... I'm too preoccupied with you right now."

Ian's eyes widened slightly in surprise, rather confused on what William could be regarding. "Why? I mean... what's wrong?" he asked, unsure.

Taking a seat on the mattress that was now set up on the carpeted floor below, William crossed his legs in a comfortable manner as he stared up at the other male that was towering above him. "Ian... I want you... to talk to me. Not just about your issues with... Blake..." he stated carefully, seeing Ian's face wince at the name. "But, I also want you to talk to me about... us. I want to know what you're fully thinking, good and bad."

Ian's gaze averted elsewhere, a soft exhale coming from him as he contemplated the request. "I'm... not sure if... everything will make much sense." he stated hesitantly, his eyes shifting back over to the other male sitting across from him.

"Take your time. We have a whole night to ourselves."


	24. Chapter 24

It wasn't until the slow forming silence that he had caught sight of what time it was. The blue lights from the alarm clock had read 11:45pm. The lights had been turned off after a while as they had prepared for bed, even has Ian continued to talk over several subjects. The conversation had started off with his mixed emotions towards William, as well as William expressing his own confusion. There were still a few questions that were left unanswered, since there was still plenty that needed to be discovered. _"In time. We can discuss them in time..."_ William reassured, not wanting to cause a new rise of issues when there was still much more to figure out.

However, what he didn't expect was to find him lying in a bed with his arms wrapped around Ian in an embrace, the other's face buried into his undershirt that covered his chest. While he knew it was a subject that would not be easy to sit through, as well as tell from Ian's standpoint, William didn't think that Ian had undergone such horrible experiences. The encounter at the start, with Blake's sudden interest in Ian, had just proved his suspicions all along. A part of him had wished he had stepped in to prevent such horrifying suffering in the beginning. If he had called Blake out on not having any particular significance like he thought, none of this would've happened.

But, just the gruesome details, the forceful sexual acts that Blake had ensued on Ian were enough to make his blood boil. Anger flowed through his entire body the more Ian spoke of it, and it had begun to show on his face. It had caught Ian's attention and made him incredibly nervous, which caused him to eventually burst into tears. At that reaction, William just told Ian to cease talking about everything as he held him close, trying to sooth him in an affectionate manner.

"You... could've stopped at anytime..." William stated softly, not helping but to take a hand and stroke it through Ian's hair.

"I... needed to get it all out...." Ian spoke, his voice shaky as he tried to calm himself, drawing in breath.

"I understand that... but... don't force yourself into an emotional breakdown..." William proclaimed gently.

"It would've happened anyway, Will. I... had been holding it for weeks now... trying to pretend that nothing was wrong... so, when I _finally_ had the chance to tell someone... I just... I didn't want to hold back." Ian stated, pulling his head away from the now tear-stained shirt. "I'm... sorry... I can... get you another shirt..."

"It's fine... I have a younger sister... I'm used to wet shirts..." William spoke with a chuckle, reaching a hand over to wipe a few stray tears away.

Ian allowed him to do so without much protest, enjoying the feel of physical contact instead of fearing it. In a way, William was similar to Blake. Except, they were complete opposites. William didn't hesitate to inform Ian of his own building fascination, yet left out the small details of his own sexual fantasies. Comparing the two, Ian had begun to understand them in an equal fashion. Somehow, they had both become obsessed with his overall being; yet he was still unsure as to why. But, what made them different was that William had enough respect and care to not pursue it. Instead of being confused and selfish, he was cautious and patient. This is what had drawn Ian to him in the first place.

"Are... you always this calm and caring?" Ian asked quietly, looking up towards William in curiosity.

"I... guess..." William stated, a small shrug following after. "I never really saw the purpose of being panicked and stubborn. It... doesn't solve anything."

"I see...." Ian spoke with a content smile. "I guess... that must be why I'm drawn to you. You just seem... relaxed and comforting. I'm always trying to find a way to be that way myself. But... I never figured out how..."

"Well, I'll try and show you how. That's is... if you don't mind me doing so..." William offered.

It may be something that could never be explained, but it was incredibly hard for Ian to remain shaken and distraught whenever William was near him. All of his worries and concerns were easily wiped away without a second thought. Even when they hadn't interacted, William was still his only release from any sort of pain. Through sketches and artwork, Ian found some way to incorporate William into his life, and he knew that it was his own way of stress relief. Maybe, he was the one that was truly obsessed. As if it was instinct, Ian leaned up to place a gentle kiss against William's lips, not helping but to smile afterwards.

"I'd... love it if you did..." Ian stated, his eyes staring up into the mixed colored orbs that he had always been fascinated with.

While he certainly wasn't sure if that was an open invitation to continue further, William couldn't help but feel his heart actually quicken at the kiss, gazing back at Ian in adoration and surprise. His mind would've told him to think twice, but his body had decided to throw out any form of sense for the time being. He didn't hesitate in returning the kiss at all, slow and gentle as before. A part of his brain was screaming to take a step back, considering the turmoil that Ian had just went through, but when he felt Ian's lips push back, William shut that section up rather quickly.

This time, William was going to make sure he could see just how far they could go. If Ian had told him to stop, he would do so immediately, of course not without some form of punishment that would remain in-between his legs until he found some form of release. But, for now, he would allow his hands to wander wherever they wanted, picking up where they left off.

There was no form of protest at all, save for the sound of his breath increasing the more their lips touched. Again, it didn't take long for William's tongue to be back in his mouth, yet it was much more obsessive and forceful. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach, goose bumps creeping onto his skin. Ian wasn't sure if he should fight back for some form of control, considering that he had no idea what to do next. Since his only experience was with a rather twisted young man, he had no idea what to do in return in such a situation without instruction. While his hands had reached up to grasp onto William's shirt, the rest of his body had no idea how to react. But, when he felt a sudden warmth fall among his thighs, a barely audible moan had escaped him at the touch of a hand that was now rubbing against the slowly hardening cock that was resting between his legs.

This form of contact, the careful and gentle touches against his skin, was horribly different from what he was used to. It was like night and day; instead of rough grabs and scratches, he was receiving caressing from steady fingertips. Instead of bites and chokeholds, he was enjoying the sensation of light kisses and licks against his neck. He could feel the pulse of warm breath against his skin, amazed at how calm William could be in such a situation. Even the hardened loin from the other male that was now resting against his thigh seemed to come in a smooth fashion.

But, in reality, William was on fire. In his own mind, he thought himself mad for doing such a thing. He was trying his best to hold himself back from just forcing all of his energy and lust onto Ian in one go. In a way, this was practice. If he couldn't show his affection in a patient way, then he would need to work on his own boundaries. Ian had been through enough torture, the last thing he wanted to do was create his own. He could swear that his heartbeat was horribly loud, the noise echoing in his ears as he carefully lifted the shirt that had been covering Ian's chest over and away from his head, using his own body heat to warm the other male slowly. His own kisses had found their way along the torso, his tongue carefully extending to play with each nipple that it came across as he could hear soft gasps from above.

Each form of contact caused Ian to writher underneath him, and it drove William insane. The smooth feel of his skin, the smell he emitted was enough to make him crazy. When he had found himself resting near Ian's waist, he didn't hesitate to reach a hand up to grab onto the waistband of the boxers and carefully yank them away. He glanced up slightly to see a very aroused but shocked Ian staring down towards him, his mouth barely agape.

"Ah... Will... You don't... you don't have to do that..." Ian stated softly in-between breaths, not sure if he was actually ready for that kind of activity just yet.

"Should I stop then?" William asked, thinking that maybe it would make Ian uncomfortable in some way.

At the question, Ian face had turned a bright red, and it was clearly visible in the darkness. "I-I... I didn't say that... I m-mean..." he stammered softly, averting his gaze elsewhere. "I'm... just saying... you don't have to..."

"I know that. But... I _want_ to." William stated confidently, shifting slightly as he settled in-between Ian's legs, taking the now very attention cock into his hands without a second thought.

Ian would've protested more, if it weren't for the sudden warmth of breath against the head that distracted him. A shaken gasp could be heard from him, before he shut his mouth tightly. This had been done to him before, but it was so _different_. This time, it would be William to subject him to such sensations. Instead of it being unwelcomed and unpleasant, he could only imagine that it would actually feel _good_.

When he finally felt a familiar wetness slowly cover the tip, it took everything in him to not cry out in amazement. Ian's hands grabbed hold onto the sheets beneath them and stayed there, his blue eyes not able to look away as he watched William slowly take his cock into his mouth. It was a unhurried, throbbing torture, but this was a form of torture that Ian could grow to enjoy. When William's mouth moved back up after having reached the base, a muffled moan sounded in his throat. He had to remember that his mother was home and any loud noise would catch her attention.

But goodness, did William want to hear Ian moan as loudly as possible. As he ran his tongue over the tip of Ian's cock in a teasing manner, he had to hold himself back from moaning at the sight of Ian's face. This is what he had been dreaming about for such a long time and he was going to make damn sure that it was as amazing as he fantasized. His hands carefully reached underneath Ian's ass to get a firm, but gentle grip before he set himself into a steady pace of sucking Ian off. His hazel eyes did not leave Ian's face as he did so, almost torturing himself as he could feel his own cock pressing against the mattress.

Soft pants echoed in the room as Ian watched William's mouth move up and then down in a rhythmic fashion, a low moan sounding with each smooth movement. He could feel his hips match the pace with ease, feeling William's grip against his ass tighten slightly. His whole body was shaking from pleasure, having not experienced something like this before in his life. As William quickens his pace, he could feel his cock stiffen more in the other's mouth, his head leaning back to rest against the headboard with a light thud. His eyes had fallen shut as he could feel the muscles in his body tense, growing closer towards a goal.

William had been rather patient in his smooth and gentle sucking, not wanting to bring Ian closer to an orgasm just yet. Not until he could _feel_ Ian's cock react. When he did, he began a relentless act of sucking as hard as he could, each movement smooth, steady and tight.

A hand moved up to cover Ian's mouth completely, muffled cries sounding from behind his palm as he felt William's mouth capture his cock entirely, the tight sucking catching him off guard. His free hand moved to grab onto the black strands of William's hair, as if to urge him to continue. When he felt William move just a bit faster, his body arched up at a slight angle, his hips moving in tune before they came to a shaky halt. The hand that had been covering his mouth soon formed into a solid fist as he bit down against it, trying to silence a lustful moan of satisfaction.

When he could finally taste a unfamiliar liquid against his tongue, William couldn't help but release an inward smile, a slight shiver running down his spine as he eagerly swallowed Ian's cum with ease, even taking the time to suck out any that had been left over. His eyes had been locked for the entire scene that Ian had created before him, and his mind making a mental note to never forget it. Carefully, he moved his mouth from around Ian's semi-hard cock before he sat up. "You all right?" he asked in a soothing tone.

Ian's eyes opened, they appearing to be a hazy and clouded blue as he gaze up at William, his body completely limp. His heavy pants had turned into soft ones, giving a slight nod. "Yes... I'm... fine..." he forced out, shifting slightly to lay back onto a pillow with a fulfilled sigh. "That was... amazing..."

A rather pleased grin couldn't help but appear on William's face, a small laugh being heard from him. "I'm glad... That's what I was aiming for."

A bashful smile had been returned as Ian gazed over William in fascination, admiring the build of his body before his eyes settled on the protruding loin that was trying to force its way through his boxers. "Should... I take care... of that?" he asked, not really sure how else to point it out.

William looked down calmly, before he shook his head. "No... I'll take care of it later." He stated, positioning himself on Ian's left side.

"But... It's not going to disappear anytime soon." Ian stated, somewhat surprised as he glanced over.

"I'm... not ready for you to do that just yet." William confessed softly, resting his head onto Ian's shoulder. "I'm not sure why, but... I'm not."

Ian, rather confused on the refusal, sighed in defeat, too tired to actually fight back. "Alright... I'll leave it alone... for now..." he stated softly, his eyes closing.

"We'll... talk about it later. After we take care of a few other things..."


	25. Chapter 25

The slowly building shimmer of light that had begun to peek through the curtains had been carefully dancing over his eyelids, a frown of irritation crossing his face. After a while of trying to fight more sleep, his blue eyes had finally appeared from underneath heavy lids, his vision focusing as he gathered his surroundings quietly. It felt as if he hadn't slept in days, his body progressively shifting its muscles as he turned his head to look over towards the bedroom. However, he had soon caught sight of another sleeping being that was resting near him.

Turning over as carefully as possible, Ian silently stared into the complacent face of William, who had a horrible case of bedhead and a motionless hand draped over Ian's chest in a comforting fashion. Ian couldn't help but to study the other's face in fascination. 

_He is very divine when he sleeps..._ Ian thought to himself, his eyes tracing the light lines and curves of William's face, his eyes settling on the familiar set of lips that were slightly apart, breath gently escaping past them. If he had the opportunity, this would be a moment he would love to capture on paper. His eyes shifted upwards once again, as if he had missed minor details, before he caught sight of pair of hazel eyes that were staring back at him intently.

A slight jump of surprise shook the bed, Ian gasping softly in astonishment. He stared back in embarrassment, only to see William's once lifeless lips curl into a small smile.

"So... you like to watch your guests sleep?" William questioned, his voice low and slightly raspier than normal.

"No..." Ian answered bashfully, a red tint coming to his face. His eyes averted elsewhere, feeling rather shameful for having stared at William while he slumbered. He felt a hand reach out to gently play with his hair, blonde strands having been messily arranged on top of his head.

"How did you sleep?" William asked, sitting up slightly to rest on his elbow.

"Great... I didn't realize how tired I was..." Ian admitted, glancing over as he felt the mattress shift its weight against William's movement.

"Good... You needed the rest..." William proclaimed with a content smile, before he looked over his shoulder towards the alarm clock that rested on the nightstand. "6:49... Does a bus come by your place for school?"

It hadn't dawned on Ian that it was a weekday, having lost track of time over the course of a few days. "Ah... yes... they usually arrive by 7:20 or so..."

With a small sigh, William shifted in bed to completely sit up, a hand reaching over rub the crust that had covered the corners of his eyes. "That's plenty of time for me to get dressed. I can do my homework before the first bell rings today..."

The idea that school was still a small obstacle he would have to conquer crept into Ian's thoughts the more William talked about it. While he had heard that Blake was suspended for quite some time, just the idea of being around all the other students, made him incredibly nervous. William had informed him of what had gotten out in regards to their situation and it caused unsettling thoughts into his mind. All the things he tried to hide from everyone had leaked out all due to a simple act of drinking in frustration. He wasn't sure if he could take the judgmental stares, soft whispers and ruthless taunting.

Ian's attention was soon taken as he watched William make his way out of bed, the longing emotion from before building within him.

"Do... you have training today?" Ian asked, sitting up slightly to observe William closely.

"Yeah, right after school. Why?" William asked, glancing over as he gathered his things to take a shower.

"No.... reason..." Ian stated quietly, a hand reaching up to brush a few stray hairs away from his eyes. Once again, he saw William staring at him in an amused manner, before he looked away bashfully.

"Well, since you won't ask... I can come over after I get done." William stated with a smirk, only to see Ian's face redden slowly. "Don't... be afraid to ask me these things, Ian. I don't mind it."

"I know that..." Ian stated with a frustrated huff. "Its... well... I'm not used to... whatever this is..."

"Someone... spending time with you?" William asked, confused.

"Is... that... what last night was?" Ian asked, hesitantly.

"I wouldn't think so." William stated casually, getting to his feet, belongings bundled in his arms.

"What... do you think it was?" Ian asked, curious.

"I think... it was me giving you a blowjob because I really wanted to." William answered with a smile, looking over to see the red tint on Ian's face darken in surprise. "Honestly, I believe... it was two people getting to know each other. That's all and... that's normal." William leaned over to place a small kiss upon Ian's forehead, before he turned to make his way out of the bedroom. "I'll be back in a few minutes... I have to shower..." he stated softly, closing the door gently behind him.

Ian watched him leave in silence, the pink color on his cheeks refusing to disappear as he did so. Once he was left alone in the room, he couldn't help but layback onto the bed beneath him with a deep sigh, a small smile on his face as his head landed against the pillow in a blissful manner.

-

If it weren't for the fact that he had to catch a bus to get to school, since he didn't have a car to borrow and it was rather cold outside, William wouldn't have cut the fervent and rough masturbating session in the shower so short. As soon as the water came on, he had went to work on the stiff cock that had been trying to break through his boxers. It was difficult enough trying to hide his growing erection from Ian's sight, considering that the other had offered to relieve him of his burden the night before. The thought alone was enough to make him cum in an instant. That was something he couldn't tolerate just yet. William wasn't quite comfortable watching Ian perform such an act on him, contemplating the circumstances.

There was still a lot that Ian needed to recover from, even if he appeared fine in William's presence. His mind wouldn't be able to clear the scenes that formed in his head as Ian told him, in graphic detail, the things Blake had done to him. Instead of giving in to his desires, he decided to give Ian something to take his mind off the trauma. William stepped out of the shower, drying himself off. 

Blowing drying his hair into a presentable style, William emerged from the bathroom calmly after getting dressed, making his way towards Ian's bedroom before he saw a black blur past by his feet. As he approached the door, he caught sight of Forest waiting by the doorframe, his green eyes bright as he stared up towards William quietly. "I'm guessing you want to see your owner..." he spoke softly, a smile on his face as he opened the door carefully. He didn't even get a chance to blink before Forest ran inside, jumping onto the bed and standing near Ian's side. He watched Ian reach over and pull the cat into his arms gently, petting him not too long after. "I should probably head out... It's 7:10..."

Ian's eyes shifted over towards the him as began to prepare his bag for the school day, observing William as he adjusted his uniform tie and zipped up his book bag before hoisting it over his shoulder. Sitting up, Ian swung his feet over the side of the bed, feeling the carpet beneath his toes as he stood, Forest falling back down onto the bed. "The stop is a block up and on the corner..."

He wasn't entirely sure what to say as he gazed up towards William, not really content with the idea of being left alone once again after such a comforting encounter. But all he had to do was think, in a redundant fashion that, William would be back over later that afternoon and they could do it all over again.

The kiss that followed came with ease, as if it was a normal routine that they had created over time. William leaned over and connected their lips in a gentle fashion, as if to seal a deal that they had formed together. It was so natural, almost instinct, before he pulled away slowly, only a few inches from Ian's face. "I'll try to come back by 5. I'll have to walk here, since I don't have a car, so I'll shoot you a text when I'm close." William stated softly, having to hold himself back from planting a kiss on those lips once again.

"That's fine. I'll... be here. My mother may leave for work. I'm not sure, but I'll let her know you'll be returning..." Ian responded quietly, blue eyes gazing up towards William in anticipation. "Have... a nice day..."

Before he changed his mind and claimed that he was now ill so he could stay there, William moved away from Ian completely, a disappointed smile on his face as he exited the room. But, he had something to look forward to after a long day of fighting through crowded hallways, dealing with irritating students, teachers and exhausting his body through training. Someone that he deeply cared for would actually be waiting for him to return and that was enough to get him through any day.

-

"Are you sure that you'll be fine here alone?" Rebecca asked, gathering her purse and badge for work as she glanced over towards her son, a very worried expression on her face.

"I... think so, mom." Ian stated. "Will stated that he'd stop by to keep me company for a bit."

"If he wants to stay again, he's free to do so. That is, if his parents do not mind it." She stated, placing a coat onto her shoulders.

"I don't think he'll be staying again." Ian stated with a small laugh, although it would be welcomed without any protest. It made things much easier to bear when William was near. His mind was remarkably clear and any form of fear would be wiped away.

"Alright, well, if you need anything, just call me. I'll come home immediately." Rebecca proclaimed, buttoning her coat. "I left some money for you to order take-out as well, that way William and you could have some form of dinner."

"Thanks. I'll let you know if I need anything." Ian stated, before he soon felt himself drawn into a warm embrace.

"I'm... _so_ happy... they you're acting a bit... normal." Rebecca spoke softly, tightening the hug slightly before she released him, not helping but to place a kiss on his right cheek. "I'll try and get everything fixed, I promise."

"I know you will, mom." Ian replied, a content smile appearing on his lips. "Don't be late for your shift. I promise to call if I need anything."

Giving one last hug, Ian watched his mother exit the house, the door closing behind her and locking soon after. The growing silence in the house was beginning to make him uncomfortable, the revelation of being alone resurfacing in his mind. He glanced over towards a clock resting on the wall, seeing it read 3:45pm. William would be returning in just an hour and 15 minutes. This calmed him slightly, before he decided to make his way towards the bedroom.

Instead of letting his mind wander over the constrained thoughts that wanted to cloud his mind, Ian pressed the play button on his computer keyboard, a random song soon emitting through the speakers as he pondered over what he could order for dinner. Taking a seat in the chair, he searched for places that delivered to the area on his desktop. Several choices appeared, yet he wasn't sure what William would be pleased with. Reaching over, he grabbed his cell phone that had been turned off and carefully pressed the power button. He patiently waited for the home screen to appear before he pressed a finger to activate a messaging app. Typing in the person's name, he soon sent a text message asking William what he would like to eat later that evening.

Just a few minutes later, Ian's phone vibrated softly against his desk, catching his attention as he excitedly opened the app to see a response from William, a gleeful smile coming to his face at the reply. 

_So... I guess this is how couples feel..._ Ian thought as he responded back happily, a pleased grin dancing on his lips. The enthusiasm he felt was causing him to be restless, but not in an anxious manner. His heart was beating in his chest in a different fashion. A warm feeling of excitement and eagerness overtook him as they spoke to each other over the course of half an hour. Seeing that the clock had read 4:15, he figured he should make the order before William arrived. They had finally settled on Chinese, before Ian began to end the conversation.

Ian: _Hopefully the food will arrive around the same time you get here. Hope you aren't training too hard._

Will: _If so, I can warm it back up. I can eat pretty much anything. And thanks. Can't wait to see you._

Ian felt his face heat up as he read the last part of the message, a rather goofy grin coming to his face before he closed the app entirely. The feeling of being cared for made him feel as if he was floating away, his body on a natural high as he happily dialed a number for a local Chinese restaurant, placing an order before getting a price and estimated time of arrival.

Daydreams crept into his mind, images being created as he pictured what their time together would develop into. While he was sure that William wouldn't be able to stay another night, considering that he didn't have a change of clothes to wear for the next school day, Ian would still enjoy the company. Never would he imagine being with William in such a relaxed manner. Even more, he would've pictured being so intimate and affectionate with him at all. Everything was being pieced back together, the broken fragments of his life becoming fixed and arranged in a proper fashion with William's aid.

However, he was distracted from his blissful fantasies as he heard the doorbell sound within the house. He glanced over towards the clock to see it reading 4:45. He didn't realize that time had passed by so quickly. Getting to his feet, he made his way back out towards the living room area, figuring that the deliveryman would be waiting outside to hand over his meal. He grabbed the money his mother set aside for him on the table before he went over to unlock the door carefully, not prepared to face the cold weather that had been held back by the entranceway.

Ian also wouldn't be prepared to face the person who had been waiting on the other side of the door.

"Well... This was almost... too _easy..._ " a voice stated in an amused manner, a familiar smile following after.

Almost frozen in place from pure terror, Ian stared back in disbelief, the cold air passing by him unnoticed as he gripped onto the door handle tightly.

".... _Blake_?"


	26. Chapter 26

The breeze that pushed passed him could've been colder and he still wouldn't have felt it brush against his skin. He was trying to understand _why_ he would be here. Ian stared back at him in utter terror. Either he was incredibly stupid or literally crazy. Ian's body was stiff, seeming to ignore his mind's constant chants for him to close the door or run. But, the familiar fear that had been instilled in him had taken over at the sight of Blake's face, which was rather calm and content; that all too familiar smile resting on his lips as he watched Ian closely, almost impressed at the horror that could be visibly seen.

"Ian... you should look before you open the door. You never know what _strangers_ could be lurking about..." Blake stated, clearly and firm.

The sound of his voice was enough to shake his body awake, the hand that rested on the door using all the strength it could muster to try and slam the door shut in Blake's face. But, to little avail, it was retaliated in a swift movement, knocking Ian back and stumbling into the house. He regained his balance, only to see that Blake had quickly made his way inside, closing the door behind him as he did so. His breath began to quicken as he felt himself slowly begin to panic, looking about himself for another exit.

"Now, calm down. I'm here, so you might as well just deal with it." Blake spoke in a nonchalant manner. "You opened the door. Blame yourself."

"What do you want? Why... the hell are you here?" Ian asked, feeling his hands shake madly before they were clenched into fists. He stood where he was, thinking that maybe if he didn't run away, he could think of a clear way to escape.

"What do you think I want?" Blake stated, a look of disbelief on his face. "I came here for _you_."

Ian remained silent, his eyes watching Blake closely, in case he made any quick movements.

"You won't ask why? Alright..." Blake spoke, his hands moving to rest in his pockets. "I'm obviously here to get my revenge, but I'm sure you knew that. Not without some form of... confirmation."

"What...?" Ian asked, his face filled with confusion and fright. "I... don't know what you mean by... confirmation..."

Blake smiled, in a rather pleasant manner, which made Ian even more nervous. "I already know William was here earlier. As well as his father, I believe... yesterday."

Ian's eyes couldn't help but widen, baffled at just how much information Blake knew. "How... how did...?"

"Really? I'm surprised you even bothered to question that." Blake spoke with a scoff. "I'm suspended, but I'm not locked away in my house. Your bitch of a mother can press charges all she wants. But, until they actually find some form of _evidence,_ I can do as I please. My parents are pissed, but not enough to keep me contained. When they leave, I can do as I please. The police aren't even watching me. Just proves my point, really..." he stated with a chuckle, before continuing.

"I've been interrogated and questioned several times, and while there were witnesses at the party, they aren't entirely sure why we were fighting. For all they know, you could've been spewing nonsense because you were drunk. You've forgotten, Ian. My reputation is _far_ better than your words."

A shiver running down Ian's back at the revelation of Blake's words. It was as if everything was playing as he stated; Ian would somehow speak up about his abuse, people would either believe him or not, most would probably pass it off as slander. To which, Ian would be ridiculed and ignored. At that point, somehow, Ian would be subjected to Blake's wrath. 

"But, that's not why I'm here." Blake stated, crossing his arms over his chest calmly. "I want to know... if William did something to you."

Ian stared back at Blake in silence, his hand still in tight fists as he stood where he was, preparing for some form of attack.

"Answer me, Ian." Blake demanded, his tone low with a hint of irritation.

"Why?" Ian asked softly, his voice slightly shaken.

"I've already told you... William had his fucking chance... and you are _mine._ " Blake answered, his calm demeanor slowly fading from his face, a rather stern and possessive expression crossing over. "Just because you opened your mouth doesn't change that fact. As you can see, no one really believes you. Why else would I be here? William will _not_ get the pleasure of being with someone I've already claimed."

"I'm... not _yours._ I don't belong to anyone..." Ian protested, his voice as firm as he could make it. While he was still horribly terrified, he wasn't going to allow Blake to walk over him like before. If he tried to make a move, Ian was going to fight back, even if it got him killed in the process.

A rather loud laugh followed afterwards, Blake shaking his head at Ian's statement. "That's funny! As many times as you've had my cock in your mouth, I think I have every right to claim you."

"Same goes for you." Ian stated, his eyes narrowing slightly at the comment. This caught Blake's attention, a rather threatening look appearing.

"Watch your _mouth_ , Ian. You don't have anywhere to go." Blake reminded him, a pleased smirk on his face. "Besides, I figured you'd enjoy it. Such an innocent guy like you probably wouldn't have dreamed of receiving such contact. It sure as hell didn't take you too long to shoot a load."

"That's... where you're wrong..." Ian stated, his voice strong and confident. "I have... and it was _far_ better than anything you've ever given me."

"Bullshit. You're lying through your fucking teeth..." Blake spoke harshly.

"I'm not." Ian replied. "And just to prove your assumptions correct... William did stay the night, and we sure as hell enjoyed each other's company."

Blake stared back towards Ian in surprise, his expression rather blank.

Ian could see Blake's dominant facade cracking, giving him just the self-reliance he had been looking for. "William gave me... the best... blowjob in the world... and I loved _every_ fucking minute of it."

There was an odd period of silence, the two of them starting back towards each other in a loathing fashion. Ian showed no remorse on his face as he watched Blake slowly begin to break down. Yet, this also prompted him that he was still trapped in his own house, and with the thought of William having done something confirmed, Ian knew he would have to be on his guard with Blake in this mental state.

Before any words could be spoken, the sound of the doorbell could be heard echoing through the house. Ian's eyes shot to the door quickly, thinking that it could be William. At that simple distraction, Blake took the opportunity to lunge at Ian, catching him off guard and making him stumble back onto the floor. Before he could even blink, Ian was once again gazing up towards Blake, who was now looming over him in a rough fashion. He felt the familiar grip around his neck, the panic resurfacing once again. Instead of a smug or mischievous expression filled with lust, it was broken and angered.

"You... fucking... little... _bastard_..." Blake stated in-between rough breaths, his hands actually shaking Ian's head slightly as they tightened. "I _told_ you... you are mine... I claimed you first... not William's, mine! And if I have to fucking _kill_ you to show that... I will!"

Ian choked against Blake's grip, his legs kicking out in a frantic manner. His hands began reaching out for anything, grasping at the floor beneath him, before he felt his right hand brush up against an object. Grabbing onto it tightly, he took what little strength he had to bring it towards Blake's face, hearing a rough and hard thud echo through the room.

He felt the grip loosen and he quickly gasped for air, taking the chance to move from underneath Blake entirely. Ian watched Blake hold his head before he noticed spots of red against the wooden floor below. He looked over at his hand to see that it was one of his mother's cement vases, the contents having been spilled during their scuffle. Shaken and in shock, Ian looked at the blood that was now trailing down Blake's face as he sat there on the floor, groaning in pain.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ian dropped the object quickly and made his way towards the back of the house, making distance before Blake regained his senses and came after him. Heading towards the dining area, he made his way towards a patio door that was on the side of the room, glancing over to see Blake beginning to get to his feet.

"Alright... So, you want me to chase you before I kill you... that's fine..." Blake stated with a soft chuckle. "I'd _love_ to see you outrun a tennis player..." he continued, a rather evil and crazed smile on his lips, the blood from before continuing to carefully trace down the left side of his face.

Ian quickly unlocked the door and bolted out, not bothering to wait and see if he was indeed being followed. Just that look alone was enough to make him run like he never did before. He made his way out into the backyard, quickly climbing over a fence that separated him from another neighbor's yard. Once he made it over, he glanced back to see that Blake was indeed coming after him, having already made it past the dining room. A startled noise escaped from Ian, who was soon back on his feet and running once again.

His chest burned and he could feel his lungs begging for him to stop, but his mind was protesting that he continue, for his life. Leaping over the bushes that rested in his neighbor's yard, he made his way out into the street, heading towards an area filled with trees that was only a good block away. He wanted to cry out for help, but his body wouldn't allow it. Any air he could fathom was used to push him more. He glanced back once again, seeing that Blake had just made it over the same fence. _I... I can lose him in the woods..._

As he approached the covered area of trees and shrubs, he tried to stay off a clear path that had been set from previous visits and continued deeper. This didn't stop him from looking over his shoulder each chance he got, only to see Blake a slight distance behind him.


	27. Chapter 27

"Shit... I'm late..." he muttered to himself as he rounded a corner, running quickly towards Ian's home. His training session had run later than expected, considering that he had been met with an unexpected visit from a college recruiter. His coach hadn't informed him of this visit, wanting it to be a surprise. While it was certainly welcomed, it was horribly planned, causing him to be 10 minutes later than he stated.

 _I hope he didn't want for me to eat..._ he thought, feeling rather guilty for his tardiness. William had been looking forward to their time alone all day, not helping but to ponder over their brief encounters during class. It was such a wonderful feeling to be able to express his affections without complications.

Panting softly as he quickened his pace, William had passed another corner as Ian's home came into view. Yet he was surprised to see what appeared to be a delivery man waiting outside the door. Slowing down William approached the man, Asian, dressed in a uniform and appeared to be rather irritated. "Um... hello..." William stated, walking towards him. "Are you... delivering food?"

"Yes. Someone placed an order at this house. I rang the doorbell and no one answered. I've been sitting out here for 15 minutes." He stated, his tone annoyed.

William frowned in surprise. "I'm... sorry..." he replied, a polite smile on his face. "He... may just be in the shower or something."

"For _15_ minutes? Seems odd. I'm thinking this is a prank call..." the man stated.

"No, it's not. He ordered the food, I swear. Did you try calling the number they gave you?" William asked, walking over towards the door and knocking loudly.

"Of course I did. It went straight to voicemail." The man replied, clearly upset.

However, William eventually tuned him out at the lack of a response on the other side of the door. He would've expected Ian to open it by now, considering he was the only one home. He even looked over towards the window, just to see if he would peek out before opening. Instead, it was still closed and silent. "You've... been standing out here for... how long?" William asked, glancing over towards the man.

"I told you... 15 minutes." He proclaimed with a sigh. "Are you going to pay for this or what?"

 _That's... too damn long_... William thought, reaching over and turning the doorknob. He became very worried when he came to find that the door was unlocked. He pushed it open slowly, allowing it to make its way towards a neighboring wall as he gazed inside, confused by the silence. "Ian?" he shouted, taking a step inside as he did so. His eyes scanned the area carefully, unsure of what to expect. He soon caught sight of a vase resting on the floor, not horribly far from droplets of blood that had now stained the wood.

"Ian?" he shouted once again, however his voice was filled with panic. He raced back towards the bedroom, only to see it empty. He made his way back out towards the living room, seeing the delivery man standing there in shock. "Call the police." He stated in a hurried fashion, before he heard the sounds of a small animal. Rushing over towards the dining area, he stopped to see Forest sitting near the patio door that was open, a cold breeze coming in roughly. He could hear the cat meowing softly; it's gaze staring off into the backyard.

William made his way over, looking out and seeing if he could catch sight of Ian anywhere. "Ian!" he shouted loudly, hearing his voice echo.

"Shit..." he cursed softly, glancing over towards the front door to see the delivery man chatting in a panicked manner on his cell phone. "Tell them that someone broke into this house and the resident is missing. His name is Ian Crowley, and tell them to send Detective Robert Mosley over immediately!" he ordered, before he ran out into the yard.

-

The run was beginning to wear him down, his breath laboring roughly from his mouth as he continued. Having drawn himself further into the forest, he had lost all sense of direction, jumping over fallen logs and large rocks as he did so. The woods had been rather thick with trees and bushes and it didn't help that the sun was slowly beginning to set on the horizon. The last time he glanced back, Blake was nowhere to be found. Instead of stopping, he decided to press further, possibly losing Blake completely.

But, what Ian hadn't anticipated was getting lost in the process. The more he looked about him, the more his eyes caught sight of trees. This made him even more frightened. Not only was he running away from a crazed and obsessed teenager set on killing him, he was doing it in the middle of nowhere. A light cry of helplessness escaped him as he continued running, before he felt his knees buckle unexpectedly. He landed against the ground roughly, looking over towards a log that he had tripped over. He didn't have the energy to get back up, sitting up slowly and resting against the ground.

He took this time to catch his breath, drawing his knees in close as he laid his head against them. Blue eyes scanned the area carefully, his ears attentive for any sounds of movement. This time, he appeared trapped and alone, not sure what he could do if Blake had found him. He would have nothing to defend himself with, let alone be able to call out for help.

Tears began to form in his eyes, his breath quickening once again as his mind had finally collected its thoughts, making him realize that there was only one real ending to this tragic situation. He gazed up towards the sky above him, the clouds beginning to retreat slowly as the darkness was beginning to invade. He felt a trail of tears fall down his cheeks, a shaky sigh being heard. He couldn't help but smile sadly, a familiar thought crossing his mind.

"Even during times like this, I still think about him..." he muttered to himself softly. Against his better judgment, thoughts of William had begun to flood into his mind, almost in a soothing manner. It was the only thing keeping him stable and hopeful. But, he was sure that William wouldn't be able to actually find him. He had no idea how far he had run. Yet, it was enough to make him long for the familiar embrace, the sound of his voice actually calling out his name.

_"...Ian!"_

He blinked slightly, thinking that he was going insane from his weakness. He held his body still, as he listened for the sound of life once again.

_"....Ian! Ian, where are you?!"_

Getting to his feet slowly, Ian continued to listen closely, making sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

"William...?" he spoke softly, as if to confirm that was indeed the voice calling out his name.

"Ian!" he heard once again, clearer and it sounded much more desperate than before.

His eyes lit up in shock, trying to hold back from crying in disbelief. He began to make his way towards the voice as best as he could, his body exhausted from the running. "Will!" he shouted as loud as he could in response, to let the other male know that he was getting close. He forced his feet to move, each step taking much more effort than the last. His body was trembling, from the cold and shock, but he refused to stay where he was. If he shortened the distance between them, then it would only bring him closer to William.

"Ian! Where the hell are you?!"

Ian couldn't help but laugh in an exhausted manner at William's calling, not really sure how to respond.

"Keep talking to me! I'll find you!" he heard William shout, his ears finally able to pinpoint the direction of his voice. William was towards the east, meaning that he couldn't be too horribly far-off.

"You aren't far! Just... hurry up..." he stated, his voice trailing off, his body slowly starting to crash. He leaned over, his hands resting on his knees as he gasped for air. His head was spinning madly and he could feel himself wanting to pass out from exhaustion. But, he wasn't going to stop moving.

However, that relentless attitude would be cut short as he felt something knock him to the ground from behind. He landed against the cold dirt roughly, a soft cough being heard, as if life had been drawn from him. He struggled to sit up, looking over to see a set of feet planted near him.

"It would've been better if you hadn't shouted." A voice spoke calmly, before a rather large tree branch had been released to the ground.

Unable to move, Ian's eyes widened in fear, slowly looking upwards to see Blake hovering above him. The blood appeared smeared from his face, having been wiped from the stained shirt he was wearing. His expression was cold and unnerving, pure hatred and anger coursing through him.

"Seeing as your knight in shining armor is looking for you, maybe I should leave him a present... of your dead body when he finally reaches you." Blake spoke, before a foot lifted off the ground and was kicked into Ian's side.

The sudden pain struck him hard, a cry of anguish echoing loudly. Ian's body instinctively curled within itself, before he was grabbed and turned upright roughly. He felt Blake mount him once again, before he felt a fist strike him on the left side of his face.

"If only... you had just accepted the fact that... you were mine. You wouldn't have to deal with this...." Blake stated, in a very comforting tone. He held Ian down with his body weight as he soon covered his mouth to silence the sudden rise of cries. His free hand reached over to grab the same tree branch from before, taking it into his hand tightly and holding it up above his head. "Well, if I can't have you all to myself... then no one else can."

Ian's blue eyes stared up towards the branch in terror, his body stopping all movement as he gazed up towards the object, the clouds slowly shuffling behind it as he watched it come down towards him in a quick manner. He shut them quickly, as if to block out the vision and ache that would soon follow. However, that pain would never come as he felt the weight that was resting on top of him be roughly pushed away, a loud shout and confused grunt following not too long after. He opened his eyes slowly to see that Blake had gone, the branch now resting just a few feet away.

He turned over slightly to see Blake wrestling with someone madly, several punches being made between the two of them in the process. His eyes focused to see William tussling with Blake in earnest, the two of them equally matched in physical strength.

"Fucking... crazy... asshole..." William spat roughly as he tried to contain Blake, not helping but to punch him roughly. However, he was amazed at how Blake was able to fight back, turning him over with just a few shuffles of his own legs. After a while, William would find himself pinned to the ground, receiving a few hits to his own face. This would continue for a few seconds, before Blake had gotten the upper hand.

Blake had lifted up slightly, then came crashing down hard onto the ground, one of William's arms that had been trapped underneath him landing roughly. A sharp cry of agony came not too long after, William's arm having released a loud noise from the pressure.

"Goodness, Livingston, I would think that maybe all that training you did would be challenging. Guess you're still a goody, worthless prick..." Blake stated in-between breaths, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Go... fuck... yourself..." William spoke roughly, a glare of pure hatred mixed with ache being shown on his face.

"I'll... gladly do that... to the precious little toy... you're taken from me... after I'm done with you..." Blake proclaimed, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Keep thinking that...." a voice stated from behind them calmly.

Blake looked over his shoulder to see Ian standing there, the same branch from before resting in his hands. Holding it up as if it were a bat, Ian took a powerful swing before he felt the wood strike Blake in the head, a thud sounding at the contact. Blake's body had become unresponsive, his hold on William loosening completely as he fell to the ground, unconscious.

William turned over to rest on his back, looking up towards Ian in shock. He could see him trembling all over, the branch still in his hands, the grip tightening slowly as he watched Ian's blue eyes stare down at Blake in fear. He heard a soft cry come from Ian, giving him the impression that he was still alive in that shaken body. "It's alright... he's down...." William reassured him gently. He could grasp the mixture of alarm and anger in those blue orbs. He could see the muscles in Ian's arms flexing, sensing the urge that Ian wanted to take another strike. "Put it down, Ian...."

A fire had lit up within him at the sight of Blake resting comatose on the ground. All his contained energy, his hatred and pain, was longing to escape full force. He wanted to hit him again, until he felt that he wouldn't get back up from the ground. But, at the sound of William's voice, he was being called back into reality, looking over towards the battered male in confusion. He dropped the branch from his hand, hearing it land against the ground. His hands were quivering madly, a soft cry escaping. He fell to the ground, his knees landing against the dirt below.

For now, the two of them sat in silence, the darkness coming over them once again, before the sound of rushing footsteps and flashlights began to make their way towards them.


	28. Chapter 28

The sound of a heart monitor echoed in the room, it being a bit too familiar. This recurring pattern of having to rest in a hospital bed, covered in white, thin sheets was becoming unsettling. Never in his life had he been forced to visit a hospital within the same month. Ian rested back onto the pillows, his bed angled to an upright position as he gazed out into the busy hallway that was now filled with patients, nurses, doctors, police officers and reporters alike. If he had been left alone to face such an event, he may have finally broken down under the pressure. But, this time, he wasn't in solitude. His eyes carefully made their way over to see another young man resting in a separate bed, seeming to be staring off into the hallway himself.

Once they had been carried away on stretchers in an ambulance to the designated hospital, William had let his mind settle completely. All thoughts seemed to stop processing as he gazed up towards the ceiling of the fast moving vehicle. His arm was in pain, but it was more of a numbing sensation. Never had he seen it in such an angle; broken and unresponsive. It was similar to the same facial expression that rested on Ian's face as they sat in the woods waiting for the police to arrive. Ian was silent, his eyes focused on the ground beneath him as he breathed roughly. The silence was enough to confirm his unstable mentality. William also had to admit that he was in the same mental state.

His hazel green eyes caught sight of his father, arguing with reporters outside of the door, as well as Detective Mosley who was diligent in wanting to get as much information as he could from them both. However, Ian's mother stayed seated in the room with them, as well as William's own mother. She decided to leave his younger sister with a babysitter instead of subjecting her to such chaos.

Blake was placed in another ward of the hospital, supposedly lying awake in bed but impassive. He refused to talk to anyone, let alone respond to his own parents. He was to have security placed outside of his door at all times, in case he came to his senses and decided to seek Ian or William out. Ian, surprisingly, requested that. Of course, the notion had already been discussed when his mother had, once again, gotten word that her son had been put in danger, as well as William. At one point, Charles even suggested that Blake be transferred to another hospital entirely, yet was met with instant protest from Blake's father, Alan Florence.

"And why the hell can't my son be treated like everyone else?!" Alan shouted towards Doctor Eckhel, the same doctor that had treated Ian previously.

"Because your son is a basket case, Alan! An unstable person waiting to crack!" Charles shouted, not really caring if reporters quoted him or not.

"Don't judge him like that, Charles! You don't know what _really_ happened!" a woman named Celina, who happened to be Blake's mother, argued emotionally, practically in tears.

"Celina, don't." Charles spoke, his tone sharp. "All I know is that _my_ son is lying in a hospital bed with a cast on a broken arm, covered in bruises and scars, along with the _same_ boy that got your kid into this mess in the first place! He has several bruised ribs, on top of the other stuff he was subjected to just a few days ago! I don't care if they all fell down a flight of stairs at the same time. What I do know is that _your_ son is the cause of this mess!"

"Watch what you say, Charles. I know you're handling this case." Alan threatened. "And you better believe I'll have an even _better_ attorneyto battle your sorry ass!"

"Oh, this is _personal_ , Alan, more personal than before. I'm going to be ready to ruin you, just wait and see!" Charles shot back, only to feel a hand grab at his arm. He glanced over to see his wife, a rather stern look on her face.

"Stop it, Charles. That's enough." Elizabeth spoke softly, firm.

"Agreed, Liz. Charlie, get back in the room." Detective Mosley stated, before his gaze turned onto the Florence couple. "As for you two, please return back to your son's room and remain there. I will have two officers escort you there and please do not come to their room again. I'll be questioning both of you shortly." He spoke firmly, seeing the couple walk away quickly, two officers following behind them. "And will someone get these reporters out of this damn hospital?! How the hell did they get here in the first place?!"

Quietly following behind his wife, Charles Livingston was soon pacing the room, his hands behind his back with an angry scowl on his face. "Damn bastard... how dare he even make the _notion_ of stepping towards this room... someone needs to kick him in his pretentious ass..."

" _Charles_ , drop it." Elizabeth stated, her tone threatening. "I don't want to hear anymore right now and _they_ don't either." She added, motioning toward the two boys resting in their respective beds.

As if he was trying to avoid looking towards him since he arrived, Charles gazed over towards his bedridden son, who was watching him carefully, a blank expression on his face. "Sorry..." he muttered, his hands messily moving into his trouser pockets. "I'm just... very upset..."

"I know..." William stated softly, a tired smile coming to his face. "But, at least I'm not dead..." he added, more so in a joking manner.

"I don't think that's something to laugh about..." Rebecca interjected quietly, a pained expression on her face.

"I agree." Elizabeth stated, a hand reaching up to rub her forehead roughly. "I'm still... trying to understand... _why_ that boy came to your home. What... made him think that was a wise decision?"

"He _didn't_ , Liz." Charles protested, his voice showing signs of irritation. "He's _crazy_. Blake Florence is just as insane as his father. What I'm more interested in is what he did to Ian to begin with."

" _Dad_ , not now." William spoke up sharply, a protective expression crossing his face before he glanced over towards Ian, who appeared to be staring off into a void of space.

"Well, that's a damn good question, Charlie." Detective Mosley stated, leaning against the doorframe after he made sure the hallway was completely clear. "Honestly, all of us are wondering about it. We've had plenty of kids tell us what they heard during that party, the Florence's kid was telling us something different. But, Ian is the _only_ one who can actually resolve this problem because he's the other _half_."

While everyone knew this was indeed the circumstance, William was also quite aware of the fact that Ian was already broken mentally. Even he was surprised that Ian was able to give him full details of his encounters with Blake during their evening alone. He knew there was no way he would be able to tell a room full of people, let alone a courtroom of strangers. But, he knew that Detective Moseley had a good point: Either Ian tell his side of the story in full, or any evidence that was set up against Blake would fall by the wayside, giving the impression that Ian had actually caused a false allegation. While Blake would still be charged due to his attacks earlier that evening, the major case would dissipate.

His eyes studied Ian's face, seeing that there wasn't a sign of life in his blue eyes like before. It had been this way since he had gotten him to release the weighted tree branch in the woods. He was silent, unresponsive and lifeless. That, besides anything else they had faced, hurt him the most and he was beginning to think that the barrier he had been able to break down just a day before was already back up in full force.

"Let's... not talk about that here, please." Rebecca sounded, a small sigh escaping her as she looked towards the other adults in the room. "I... really... just want him to rest and not think about it."

"We apologize, Ms. Crowley." Elizabeth spoke in a comforting tone. "Why don't we discuss this outside?" she offered towards the two men, seeing them quietly exit the room before she did the same.

A silence came over the room once again as Rebecca kept her eyes towards the floor, her son's gaze planted onto a wall and William, seeming to be functioning at the moment, watching random strangers pass by the room, his mind drifting towards a blank slate.

-

Eventually, the pain medication that they had both been subjected to had taken over once again, both boys passing out from exhaustion. Beds had been assembled for the parents in a room directly across the hall; however, Rebecca was once again sleeping in a nearby chair, refusing to leave her son's side.

After 3 hours of rough sleep, Ian slowly awakened to a familiar sight, except that when he glanced over to his left side, William was not too far from him, sleeping soundly. If he had the strength and energy, Ian would've crawled out of his bed into William's, wrapping those arms around him and laying his head onto a shoulder. At this moment, the only thing he wanted more was a warm, comforting embrace to ease away the fear, uncertainty and confusion from his mind.

His attention was captured at the sound of footsteps entering the room, his head quietly adjusting to look over. He wasn't sure why, but a familiar man dressed in a white coat had entered the room, walking over to analyze their monitors, as well as IV levels. A puzzled frown came onto Ian's face as he watched him, trying to figure out why he was familiar.

"Boris...?" Ian heard someone state, his eyes moving over towards his mother, who was waking slowly.

"I'm sorry... did I wake you?" the man asked, looking over this shoulder towards Rebecca quietly. 

"It's alright... I need to be awake anyway..." she protested softly, a yawn escaping her.

"No, you don't. You should be in a bed." Boris objected with a sigh, writing something down onto a clipboard.

"I'd rather not sleep when someone who just tried to kill my son is in the same hospital.." Rebecca stated, her voice somewhat annoyed.

"I don't want to argue that again." Boris spoke, turning to face her completely. "It's not right for me to force anyone to leave a hospital, regardless of their background."

"I know that. It's just.... I don't know if he'll come for Ian again..." Rebecca proclaimed, a hint of worry in her voice.

"He won't. He's stationed in a ward in the hospital with the least patients. He's also watched by police officers all day. I think they've even handcuffed a wrist to his bed. Believe me, they've made precautions." Boris admitted, a comforting smile on his face.

"I see..." Rebecca spoke, yet a hand rubbed the back of her neck, seeming to be uncomfortable. "I... wish I had stayed home instead. Maybe none of this would've happened. Or... I should've moved to a temporary location..."

"I know how you feel... but don't think any of this was your fault. Something else could've happened entirely. Besides, I offered for both of you to stay in my home... but... you objected to that idea..." Boris stated, seeming to be a bit disappointed.

"Boris... we'll talk about that later. Not... in this circumstance..." Rebecca reassured him, a tired smile on her face.

"Alright... that's fine. I'll leave it alone for now." Boris proclaimed with a slight shrug. "Come on, if you plan to stay up, I'll buy you some coffee..."

Watching his mother get to his feet carefully, Ian quietly observed the two of them exiting the room, a hand being placed on his mother's shoulder from the doctor that escorted her out. While he wasn't entirely sure what they had been discussing, the simple gesture comforted him, a small smile not helping but to come to his face at the fact that someone was finally taking care of his mother, instead of it being the other way around.

"I... think you may have a stepfather pretty soon..."

Ian looked over quickly to see that William was partially awake, his eyes gazing over towards the doorway as he spoke. "I had a feeling something was happening between them..."

"Really?" Ian asked, his voice soft as he adjusted his body to sit upright in the bed. "I was... trying to figure out who he was..."

"Doctor Boris Eckhel. He treated you on the night I saved you from drowning." William answered, clearing his throat afterwards. "He's... a nice guy..."

"I see..." Ian stated, the same smile coming to his face. "That... makes me a bit... happy."

Just seeing a hint of a smile on Ian's face was enough to comfort William entirely. He was certain that Ian would've been a broken shell within himself again, yet he was glad to be proven wrong. "How... are you feeling?"

"I'm all right... just very sore and tired..." Ian answered, resting back onto the pillows. "How... is your arm?"

"Numb and in a cast." William stated with a chuckle, lifting the heavy limb up for Ian to see. "I think it will be this way for 2 months. He... really broke it."

"I'm... sorry..." Ian stated, a painful expression crossing his face. "I... I wish I could've done something. I... shouldn't have opened the door..."

"Ian, it's fine." William injected. "Blake would've come after you sooner or later. I'm... just glad I got there when I did... or..."

William couldn't even bring himself to say the words that had been lined up in his mind. It was something that he had been contemplating over and over. If he had been just a few seconds late, Ian could've been dead instead of heavily bruised in the bed beside him. He wouldn't have been able to continue living if it had turned out that way. After the night they had together, finally getting their emotions and bottled up thoughts out in the open, it would've been for nothing.

"I'm... glad you came looking for me..." Ian stated, his gaze averted elsewhere. "I had... given up hope when I was sitting there in the woods. You don't know how... _happy_ I was to hear your voice."

"Why wouldn't I come after you?" William asked, a smile on his face. "I told you before; I will try my best to protect you from everything I can. That's what someone who cares about you does. That's... what a person in love does..."

Ian looked over towards William slowly, seeing his gaze captured in William's once again. He could visibly see the undying affection in those eyes, not helping but to return the same feelings that had been burning within him since the first time he laid eyes on William. It had grown even more with time; the more he constantly watched William from afar, the way his hands moved diligently on paper as he tried to capture every movement. When he was finally within those comforting arms and when their lips came together, that longing and deepening love was something that he couldn't contain any longer. "One day, William.... I hope to be able to do the same."


	29. Chapter 29

"Are... you sure you want to describe all of that to a courtroom?" Charles asked, looking at Ian from across his desk, a rather concerned expression on his face.

"Yes... I do..." Ian stated, almost hesitant to confirm, but he forced it out anyway.

"Alright... Goodness... I had no _idea_ this is what he did to you..." Charles spoke, a hand rubbing his eyes carefully, as if in disbelief. "How or, should I ask... why... did you stay quiet about it for so long?"

"I was... afraid, Mr. Livingston. I really was. And... considering what he was capable of doing to William and me... I had every right to be." Ian stated, giving a truthful answer.

"I can understand that." Charles stated with a sigh, leaning back into his chair. "One important matter moving forward is that we get you in touch with a therapist. Experiencing something like this is... not normal for you, and you will need a lot of support in recovering. Do bear in mind that this entire process will probably take months, maybe even another year before we face a judge. These things can take time to build, and I have a feeling the opposing side will attempt to squander this as much as possible."

"I can imagine..." Ian spoke softly, the idea of being in a courtroom making him somewhat anxious. The circumstance of possibly having to sit in a room in front of everyone and recall in vivid detail the pain and suffering he was subjected to for months with Blake watching in the process was incredibly unsettling. "Should... I work with my mother regarding... a therapist?"

"I'll speak with her about it. I have someone in mind who I can highly recommend. I'm actually thinking of setting up time for William as well. I think he could also use the support." Charles replied. "But, that's enough for today. I'll talk with your mother tomorrow and I'll let her know what we plan to do from there."

"Alright... thanks." Ian stated, getting to his feet slowly.

"No need to thank me, Ian." Charles protested with a smile. "I'm doing this willingly; for you and my son. By the way... are you staying over tonight? I remember Elizabeth mentioning it..."

"I was offered to do so, yes." Ian stated in a bashful manner. "Is... that fine?"

"Oh, it's quite alright, really. I'm sure William will enjoy the company. He's been laying around for the past week since you guys are on winter break." Charles stated, waving a hand with a laugh. "His sister has been using that time to play dolls and dress up with him. I think he needs someone his own age to spend some time with."

A rather amused smile came to Ian's face at the thought of William playing with a doll, as well as dressing up in a crown or getting his nails painted. "Well, in that case, I'm glad I could help."

"I'm sure he is too. Feel free to make yourself at home. If you have any other questions, just ask." Charles offered, watching Ian exit his study.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to do that." Ian stated, closing the door behind him carefully. His footsteps guided him down a hallway that soon emerged into a dining area, seeing William's mother washing dishes and cleaning up after dinner. He watched as her and William's younger sister helped dry off the items, a polite smile appearing as he passed. Making his way into the living room, soon ascending a wooden staircase to the second floor, walking down another hallway towards William's bedroom. He knocked softly, hearing a familiar voice allowing him to enter before he grasped the knob, turning it and pushing it open.

William's room was a complete contrast from his own. Posters of musical bands, sports players were lined along the walls in odd ways, two soccer balls were together in a corner of the room, a hamper filled with laundry was sitting in a very messy closet filled with clothes and shoes in an disorganized fashion. A desktop rested on a desk near the window, music emanating from the speakers. His book bag was next to the bed on the floor, yet several papers and books were scattered all over. Also, Ian had caught sight of a few toys, obviously belonging to William's younger sister, Melissa.

"I'm sorry for the mess..." William stated with a nervous laugh. He sat up quickly when he caught sight of Ian, a rather embarrassed look on his face. "It's... a bit hard for me to clean right now. I swear it's never been this messy before."

"It's ok. I... kind of like it..." Ian stated with a smile, walking over and taking a seat on the bed near him. "I can tell that someone actually lives here, unlike my room... which almost seems like a guest room..."

William laughed. "Well, I wouldn't call it that. You're just... very neat, really. It's a good trait to have. But, let me clean up and I'll go borrow my sister's spare bed. She has one of those day beds that came with a foldable mattress and frame. It's very nice when we have guests stay over." Getting to his feet, William began to pick up a few objects that had been placed on the floor, using his right hand through the whole ordeal.

They both had spent a week in the hospital, in the same room with each other. Over time, Ian had become comfortable with William's parents, even his sister Melissa, who found Ian to be "very pretty." It was something that William shared with him later, after his mother and sibling departed, when the two of them were alone.

This happened often, giving them the time to talk amongst themselves and even get to know each other better. It was an odd form of bonding. William, who couldn't lift an arm to play a video game properly, still found the time to play a card game with his father. Ian, still trying to breathe properly as well as let his ribs heal, couldn't help but laugh at jokes and childhood stories. While it was a horrible predicament to be in, it was eventually welcomed. Not only did it bring the two of them closer, but their families as well.

But, a painful, stinging feeling always pricked Ian's heart when he watched William move, his cast-covered arm in a sling as he tried to lift his heavy book bag with one hand. While Ian was completely healed, William still had to suffer with his injury from Ian's own problem. This is exactly what he didn't want to happen: to involve a loved one with his battle. Even worse, this loved one put their life on the line for him and it made him feel even guiltier.

Walking over towards him, Ian carefully took the book bag from William's right hand, a polite smile coming to his face. "Let me help..." he stated softly.

Almost hesitant, William released a sigh of defeat. "Alright..." he spoke, continuing to straighten his room. "I... _really_ hate not being able to... move normally. It makes me feel weak."

"You're not weak." Ian replied quickly, with a defensive tone. Yet, he caught himself and shut his mouth just as fast, looking away as he walked back towards the bed.

William watched him quietly, taken aback by Ian's reaction. "Sorry... I know I'm not, but this cast isn't making me feel any better..." he admitted, reaching over and gently petting Ian on top of his head in a comforting fashion. "Don't think... I'm blaming you or anything... I'm not."

"I know..." Ian stated softly, a sigh following after. "But... I still feel... horrible about it. I almost wish... you hadn't come after me..."

"Hey, don't say that." William shot back, touching onto a shoulder slightly and turning Ian around to face him. "I would've gladly lost this arm if it came to it. I can still walk, right? I can still see, I can easily kick a soccer ball, I can write, I can play with my sister. Hell, I can hug you, can't I?" he asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

"Yes..." Ian answered softly, his gaze averted downwards as he listened to William speak. "I know that, Will. But... because of _me..._ you have this burden... and I'm always going to feel guilty about it. You can't change that."

"Stop it." William stated firmly, his free hand reaching up to lift Ian's face by his chin, gazing into the other's eyes. "Stop thinking about it, Ian. You didn't do anything wrong. Blake did this to me, not you."

"But, if it wasn't for me, Blake... wouldn't have..." Ian tried to get the rest out, but he was cut off by an unexpected kiss, his eyes blinking in utter surprise at the contact. He couldn't help but stare upwards when William finally pulled away, his blue eyes being captured in those mixed hazel irises.

"Let it _go_... We're alive and we can kiss each other like this as much as we like. That should be all that matters." William spoke softly, his voice full of reassurance. He slowly pulled away from him, releasing his chin in the process. "I'm going to go and get the spare bed from my sister's room. I'll be back..." he stated, before he quietly exited the room.

Still having the urge to slightly protest, Ian stood in the same spot as he watched William depart the bedroom, closing the door behind him. That was his signal for the current conversation to have ended, whether he wanted it to or not. There was no point in continuing to argue with William. In a way, he was fairly stubborn, but in a logical and caring manner. It was something that he would have to adapt towards. Finally admitting defeat, Ian continued picking up objects around the room, an amused smile playing on his lips.

-

After a while, William was beginning to wonder why they even bothered with the spare bed. An hour had passed, well into the late evening as his eyes settled on an alarm clock. It read 11:45pm. They worked on several winter break assignments, sitting in bed across from each other as they pondered over assigned readings and complex math problems. However, this became an annoying task and they ventured off to many other subjects. With each passing half an hour, he found that the two of them had moved closer towards each other.

He wasn't entirely sure if it was a conscious effort or not, but it was still pleasant and welcoming. Eventually, they found their way into each other's arms. It wasn't too horribly long that they would be in the current position they were in: Ian sitting on his lap while he rested back against his headboard, making out in the comfort of his bedroom. If this had happened earlier, they would have risked being caught by either William's parents or his younger sibling. Yet, considering it was rather late and they didn't have school for another week, they could stay up as long as they could handle, as well as enjoy the slight privacy.

What surprised William more was that this was the first time that Ian had stayed in his room for a night, but this surely wasn't the first time they had a passionate session of long kisses and wandering hands. He assumed that the other male would be slightly unsettled, considering what they had experienced a week earlier. But, baffling him even more, Ian was rather welcoming and almost eager for some form of physical contact. It was even more surprising when he felt a hand carefully make its way between his legs.

Instinctively, William reached out to grab it, stopping it from going any further. This broke the kiss suddenly, Ian pulling away in confusion. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, taking the time to catch his breath.

"Look... you're moving... a bit fast..." William stated, yet he was sure it didn't make any sense whatsoever. He could easily see that from the puzzled frown on Ian's face. "I mean... Why are you so quick to do something?" he asked, quite troubled by it.

"What... do you mean by quick...?" Ian asked, sitting back to get a better look at William's face.

There was a moment of silence, the only sound begin heard was the music that had been playing for several hours straight. William averted his gaze elsewhere, trying to find the words to express his thoughts carefully. "Do... you really want to do something... or... are you looking for... comfort?"

Ian's eyes widened slightly, studying William's facial expression carefully and finding it even more odd that William was actually quite serious. "Comfort.... For what?"

"You seem... too hurried to do something. Normally, I take the lead with things. But, tonight... you're in a rush to get things done. It... just seems strange." William admitted, adjusting slightly to sit upright more against the headboard, seeing Ian move with him.

Ian's blue eyes moved to look away, analyzing the observations in his mind, before he slowly looked back over to William, a concerned look on his face. "I'm... not always... like this?" he asked, surprised.

"No, Ian, you aren't." William answered, a small smile on his face. "Half the time, you barely move and let me do everything... which I'm assuming is fine, because you never protest..." he stated with a slight laugh, only to see Ian frown at him afterwards. "But, seriously, what's up? What are you thinking about?"

Ian's shoulders lifted slightly to present a shrug, before he sighed softly, his eyes dropping once again. "A lot... I'm still trying to figure out what's going to happen with Blake... I'm a bit surprised that my mom is indeed dating Doctor Eckhel, so I'm getting used to it... I think about you... well, us..." he trailed off, looking up towards William. "Does... it show or something?"

"Yes, it does." William stated, smiling even more. "I mean, it's fine if you want to take over... I'd probably enjoy it..." he admitted with a smirk, before continuing. "But, I don't want you to do it because you want a distraction. I'd rather you talk to me about these things, instead of releasing your frustration out... that way..."

"I see..." Ian stated, laughing softly, in a nervous fashion. "I... didn't realize it..." His eyes brightened slightly when he felt a hand against his right cheek, focusing his attention on the male that was settled underneath him.

"It's fine. If you want to continue, then feel free... but... try to focus on just _us_... instead of everything else..." William stated in a comforting tone.

"Ok..." Ian spoke, almost in a hesitant way. Now that his mind was actually clear, the familiar nervousness and bashful mentally had slowly begun to resurface. For a moment, his mind had gone completely blank, unsure of what to do next. But, he focused his eyes on the set of lips that he had been locked against before and that gave him all the encouragement he needed.

-

A/N

Apologizes for the delay in my weekly update.

I had to do an emergency travel across the country due to an ill family member. 

I'll be updating the very last chapter to this story next week. Until then and thanks so much for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

Leaning down, Ian pressed his lips against William's, capturing them with his own and it wasn't long before the same act was returned. His movements were much more cautious and timid, almost uncertain of where to let his hands wander next. While he let William take the lead with certain acts, allowing the other male to push his tongue into his mouth after their sensual kisses had progressed to more aggressive ones, it was as if his mind had begun to set in motion once again. Slowly, his hips had rocked forward against William's lap, feeling the other male press back against him, encouraging him to continue.

This was something he had never done before; being in control. It was something that he would never have imagined doing, and it was certainly a thought that wasn't even possible to create during his forced interactions with Blake. This was a new experience and it was something that he would be able to do with William and him alone. Moving his hips once again, Ian soon began a constant pattern of heated friction between them as they kissed even more, the tangling of wet tongues and lips becoming even more assertive between them.

It wasn't terribly long that he felt something hard underneath him, William's cock pressing upwards against his own eagerly. He jumped slightly in surprise when he felt William's free hand reach up and grab onto his blond strands, pulling him in closer. He swore he felt his face heat up in embarrassment when he heard a lustful groan escape from William during their unbroken kiss. The familiar warmth that would appear in the pit of his stomach rose, the small fire that had been building within him beginning to burn even more. The constant, gentle rocks against William's lap had become long, hard shakes, as if he was trying to bring their hardened loins together through clothing.

If William's other arm were free, he would've grabbed Ian and pinned him down against the bed, ripped any clothing away in an instant and wrapped his mouth around his cock without a second thought. He could feel the muscles on his body tense horribly in eagerness, the grip on Ian's hair tightening slightly, making the other male cry out softly, and breaking their intense kissing session. He took this opportunity to bite the nape of Ian's neck gently, hearing him gasp in surprise. It was as if his mind had shut down and he allowed his body to take over. His hips thrust up against Ian's thighs, wishing his other hand were free to take the firmness of his ass in a tight hold.

Once again, he felt a hand crawl in-between his legs and carefully grab hold onto the cock that was persistently trying to escape from his gym shorts. He glanced up to look at Ian's face, and the expression was enough to almost make him come instantly. Ian's face was heated, his hair horribly ruffled and his eyes emitted a lustful shine that William had never seen before. As if words didn't need to be spoken, he carefully rested back against the headboard, getting comfortable. This time, he wasn't going to protest any act that Ian wanted to do, except for actual intercourse. Even he wasn't fully ready for that.

Seeing that William wouldn't dare object, Ian carefully made his way from William's lap, adjusting to rest comfortably between his legs. Rather calm and relaxed, he drew away the shorts and boxers that had been trapping the attentive cock completely. He was rather surprised when he actually caught sight of it, his amazement showing on his face. While he certainly assumed that William was rather large, he hadn't imagined _this._ Considering that he only had two other instances to compare it to; his own and Blake's, he knew that neither of them compared to this one. His mind had actually lost track of what it was doing as he stared at it, astonished.

"Really...?" William asked softly, an amused smile on his face. "It's not _that_ big..."

"I... disagree..." Ian stated, forcing it out. "Um... do you have...?"

An eyebrow rose in confusion, William looking down towards Ian as he watched him struggle with words. "What? Lubrication?" he asked, only to see Ian's face redden at the word. A small laugh came from him, only to see Ian frown up towards him in an embarrassed manner. "Just... spit on it... you won't hurt it..." William stated, reassuring him.

That suggestion alone was enough to cause Ian's face to darken all over. "I... I can't do that!" Ian stated in a rushed manner, his voice low but shocked.

"It's _fine_... If you were to put your mouth on it, the same thing would happen eventually." William stated with a smile. "If it bothers you that badly, then I'll grab the bottle..."

"No, it's ok..." Ian stated, a soft sigh escaping him. "I'll... try..."

It seemed rather lewd and strange to do such a thing, but William had proven a point. It would indeed be the same thing if he had placed it into his mouth. He angled up slightly, his mouth directly above the tip of William's cock before he parted his lips and allowed a line of saliva to escape from his mouth, covering the stiff loin slowly. He could actually feel the cock harden in his hand as the liquid made contact against the skin, a soft gasp of satisfaction escaping from William completely. Why he found enjoyment in this act, Ian wasn't sure, but he focused his attention back on the task from before. A hand reached over to grab hold of the cock firmly, before it moved upwards, the saliva moving alongside it, before his hand moved down.

It took time to form a steady pattern before Ian was confident enough to speed up or even slow down to intense, long strokes. Based on William's reactions, he would either continue his current act or switch to something different. When he could hear a consistent noise of moans, rough panting and slight movement under his hand, Ian was soon back to leading this ordeal entirely. In a way, he could see why the groans of enjoyment, the mixture of interesting faces and slight shaking from William would arouse anyone. It was quite obvious as he felt his own cock protesting to be let out.

Thinking that he could take this just a step further, even though he knew William would object, he leaned downwards to place his mouth above the slick cock once again, except he didn't stop. Instead, he allowed his mouth to part open and take William in as slowly as possible. When he felt William stop moving, as well as making any sounds, his eyes shot up, expecting protest and shock. Instead, he caught sight of the other pressing back against the headboard, his eyes closed as his face showing nothing but the emotion of complete ecstasy. A groan so pleasurable escaped him, his hand reaching up to grab hold of Ian's blonde strands once again, wanting him to resume.

That was enough to make Ian continue. It was too similar to the fantasy he had before. But, this was incredibly real and sensationalizing. It didn't take long before he moved his head up and down, sucking and licking William's cock without hesitation. He hadn't even noticed that his hand was wrapped around his own, stroke relentlessly at the excitement of finally being able to do such a thing with William. It had been something that he had fantasies about even after his encounter with Blake. It was almost obsessive.

The only thing he could hear was the music playing in the background, the rough grunts and moans from William above, as well as his own moans and cries of pleasure in the room. He heard William gasp and curse in lust, his hips thrusting upwards into his mouth in earnest. He swore he even heard William mutter his name under his breath several times. The grip on his hair was so strong that he could barely move his own head, and he _loved_ it. It was horribly arousing to see William in such a way. His normal, complacent behavior disappeared as soon as he felt Ian's mouth cover his cock. He was a completely different person and it made Ian want to see it as often as possible.

Unexpectedly, Ian felt his muscles tense slowly, his hand stopping entirely against his cock as he came as hard as he ever did, a choked cry sounding from the back of his throat, almost wanting to collapse entirely. It wasn't too long after that he felt a warm liquid shoot into his mouth, a throaty groan sounding from above. It wasn't until several seconds after that he moved his mouth from around William's cock completely, surprised to still see it somewhat hard. He looked up towards William quietly, wondering if he would eventually get upset with him. Instead, he just felt the same hand that had been holding onto his hair running against the strands gently.

William laid back against the headboard in a slight daze, not really able to move, nor protest, let alone speak. Instead, he motioned for Ian to move towards him, feeling the male carefully climb on top of him, resting a head against a shoulder in comfort.

There wasn't much else to be said, or anything to do for the time being. While the music played for another few minutes, they laid in the comfort of each other's embrace, before giving into sleep.

~ _One Year Later~_

A painting, more of an abstract style, was carefully being completed. A steady hand held a paintbrush in a stiff fashion, as a final color of teal was being applied to an empty space on the canvas. Once it was thoroughly smeared, a hand reached up to push a few strands of hair away from piercing blue eyes. The painter stood back to examine the completed piece, a complacent smile on their face. The sun had peaked in through the thick paned classroom windows, the sound of tennis and soccer players shouting trying to emit through the glass.

"This will do..." a voice spoke, a content smile resting on their lips, the hand that had been gripped onto the paintbrush placing it onto a stand.

"Hey, Ian..." someone spoke, catching the art student's attention.

Ian turned around completely in surprise, not expecting a visitor. A year had caused a lot of physical changes for him. His face was still delicate, with his blonde hair resting just below his ears and he had grown in height. Instead of the average height of 5'8", he grew to be 5'10". His body was still slim, yet there were parts of his body that had simple muscle tones. The innocent features had dissipated to create a very attractive boy of 17.

"Hey, Will." Ian spoke with a bright smile. "Practice done already?"

"Yeah. It was a brief one, since we have a game tomorrow. We just went over some formations and game plans." William answered, leaning against the doorframe.

While a year certainly changed Ian in subtle ways, William had his own transformation. Of course his height had increased, making him a towering 6'2", his features and physical appearance changed as well, yet for the better. His muscles were there, yet they had grown from weightlifting and training, visibility seen through his shirts whenever he moved. His structured face had shaped to become even more masculine and his hair remained long and flowing, yet he kept it tame, its length settling at the base of his neck. His once broken arm was healed and strong as ever.

"What are you working on?" William asked, his hazel green eyes gazing over the painting in fascination.

"It's a piece for a scholarship. They wanted an abstract theme. I had been working on it for a few weeks now. I'm hoping they like it." Ian stated, beginning to clean up his area and put away his tools.

"Is... this to the same place?" William asked, a frown on his face.

Ian looked back towards him, a small smile appearing as he looked over his shoulder. "Let's... not argue about that again..."

"Fine, fine..." William stated with a sigh. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing really. My mom is out of town with Boris... so, I'm pretty much going to relax at home. Since Ryan is hanging out with his friends today, I'm actually alone. I was planning on being lazy this weekend." Ian spoke with a shrug. "Why?"

"Want... to come over later?" William asked, his head moving to rest against the doorframe. "My parents are out of town as well at a conference. I was going to offer that you invite Ryan over, but I guess that doesn't work. I have to babysit Melissa. I... could use the company." He added with a laugh, seeing Ian do the same.

"Sure! When should I head over?" Ian asked, grabbing his book bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"6 should be fine. Did your mom leave you her car?" William asked, standing upright as Ian made his way over.

"Yeah, so I can drive home. Let me drop my things off and make sure Forest is ok before I head over." Ian proclaimed, following William out the door.

"Bring a change of clothes. You're going to stay the night..." William teased with a smirk.

"Say's who?" Ian stated with an amused laugh, poking William in the back playfully.

"Me, because you _always_ end up doing it..." William joked, looking over to see Ian frown in playful annoyance.

-

"So, what do you do after graduation?" Melissa asked, rather curious.

"Um... Well, there are many things you can do afterwards..." Ian answered politely. "You can work, you can go to college..."

"That's what William said he was doing." Melissa added, looking over towards her brother, who was in the process of eating a slice of pizza. "But, he said he would be gone for a long time... I don't like that."

"Well, he can always visit. He won't be gone forever, you know." Ian stated with a laugh.

"Are you going to college with him?" she asked, finishing her own slice.

"Um... we'll see..." Ian answered, glancing over towards William, who had an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Alright, munchkin. Time for bed." William stated, grabbing his plate as well as Ian and Melissa's. "Don't tell mom and dad that I let you stay up past 9:30 so that you could watch cartoons."

"Ok... But, you promise to take me to get ice cream tomorrow, right?" Melissa asked, crawling out of her chair.

"Yes, I promise." William answered, rolling his eyes. "Upstairs. I'll come check on you in a bit."

Making her way out of the kitchen, Melissa said goodnight to Ian, before making her way up to the second floor of the house.

"She's cute.... and a bit bossy..." Ian said with a laugh, getting to his feet and walking over towards the sink.

"She gets that from mom." William proclaimed, shaking his head at the fact. "You can go chill in the living room if you want. I'll be out in about 10 minutes after I clean up and make sure she's in bed."

"Alright..." Ian spoke, placing a simple kiss on the right side of William's face before he exited the kitchen entirely.

Taking a seat in the living room, Ian turned on the TV, not really looking to watch anything in particular as he patiently waited for William to return. He stared off towards the glowing box as it showed a documentary on the Victorian era. While it wasn't something he was fully interested in watching, the style of dress and structure of the buildings fascinated him. He didn't realize that a good half an hour had passed by, until William had plopped down on the couch next to him. He heard the male release a tired sigh, slouching a bit in exhaustion.

"I'm guessing she was being stubborn..." Ian asked with an amused smirk.

"That... she got from dad..." William answered, resting his back against the couch. "She _finally_ went to sleep. I had to promise her a new toy tomorrow as well."

Ian laughed, reaching over and poking William in the side. "You spoil her too much. You're a nice older brother..."

"Hey, she's not the only one who's spoiled..." William proclaimed, a playful grin on his face. "And you might as well get used to being an older brother as well. Well, step brother, I should say..."

"How am I spoiled?" Ian asked, surprised. "And Ryan is only a couple of months younger than me. Doesn't make me that much older..."

"Well, I could list all the reasons for why you are spoiled... but I'd rather not." William teased, only to see Ian cross his arms in annoyance.

"Hmm... fine, don't. You're just as spoiled." Ian spoke, seeing William's mouth twist into a puzzled manner.

"How so?" William asked, sitting up onto the couch.

"Who made me _promise_ that I'd apply to the same college as him?" Ian asked, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

William sighed, his eyes moving towards the television. "You... don't have to go, you know. Honestly... I'd much rather you went to a nice art institution."

"But, you wouldn't like it... would you?" Ian asked, a small smile on his face. He moved closer to him, his knee brushing against William's thigh lightly. "I'd... rather go to the same place as you anyway. I don't think I'm that great of an artist..."

"Come on, Ian." William interjected. "You're a damn good artist. It would be a waste to go to the college I picked. I mean, have you even bothered to look at the art department's reputation?"

"No... but does it matter?" Ian asked, watching William carefully.

"Yes, it does. Look, I know you take your talent very seriously. I would hate for you to waste it on some college that doesn't even specialize in it." William answered, his tone serious.

Before he could even protest further, Ian leaned over to place a gentle kiss on William's lips, silencing him. "I know... and I've applied to other places as well, just like you have." Ian answered, gently resting his forehead against William's with a sigh. "I think I'm just... scared to be separated from you. That's all."

"You know what your therapist says about that..." William spoke softly, reaching up to caress his fingers through Ian's blonde strands in a gentle manner.

"Do you think... your dad will get the case through before we head to college?" Ian asked, looking into the green eyes across from him.

"I think so. He's made his argument in front of the judge at this point, and he thinks that the judge is going to motion for a trial with a jury. At this point, Blake is an adult and can be tried as one. In a way, this works in your favor. Also, those text messages he sent you before he physically attacked us both serve as proof that he was harassing you."

"But... do you think what his father said might actually help him? How he may have been in a manic state and could claim insanity?" Ian asked, sitting up slightly.

William rolled his eyes at the notion, reaching over and grabbing onto Ian's waist, pulling him on top of his lap carefully. "That's complete bullshit. The students at the party are still witnesses. He seemed sane enough to throw an underaged house party with alcohol. Also, keep in mind, Brad is also one of those witnesses and he's pretty much on your side."

"Never thought I'd hear that in my lifetime..." Ian spoke with a soft laugh, seeing William do the same as he wrapped his arms around his neck. "Also, will your dad use the testimony from that other student? The one who transferred?"

"Considering that he actually has documentation with his own interactions with Blake, I'd be very surprised if my father didn't use that to his advantage." William answered, a hand lightly running along Ian's back. "He's pretty much made this his mission, Ian. I trust my dad. You're in good hands."

A sigh escaped him as he settled into William's lap, not helping but to press their foreheads together again. "I know... in more ways than one." Ian answered with a smile, only to see William do the same before reaching over to kiss Ian deeply, pulling him in closer.

Ian returned it in the same fashion, before he pulled away slightly. "You sure you want to try and have fun while your sister is home?" he asked with a playful grin.

William just stared back at him in silence, a small smile on his face as he shifted slightly, pressing his lap up against Ian's ass carefully. "Depends on if you can stay _quiet_..."

"Is that a challenge?" Ian asked, grabbing onto William's back at the motion, only to see William laugh. "You know I love you, right?" he asked, staring back at William with a warm smile.

Reaching up to take his face into his hands, William pulled Ian into another kiss, before speaking. "I do... and I love you too." 

-

**A/N**

Hello there and thanks so much for reading _Secret Admirer_. 

Believe it or not, I actually wrote this story about 8 years ago in 2013. I wrote and completed the story between the months of March and May. This was the very first novel I wrote and completed _ever_. I mostly wrote short stories or one-shots at the time, since I felt that there was no way I could ever write a novel. 

The only thing I changed was the ending, as it's not the original. Looking back, it didn't seem very fitting. I also know that while there are mentions of a court case, I decided not to write it into the story at the time. Having re-reread and edited this story (although I'm sure I've missed some things and I'll more than likely go back and edit it again), I realized that I actually missed writing these characters.

To wrap up, there are 2 things mentioned in the final chapter. If you recall in Chapter 6, William mentions that there was another male student who told Blake that they were attracted to him, yet was turned down. That is the transfer student that Ian is talking about in relation to the court case. I'm hoping to have time to draft and then upload a bonus chapter to explain this in more detail. Ian also mentions someone named Ryan. This actually happens to be his soon-to-be "stepbrother." I do plan to write a spin-off story with him as the main character, but Ian and William make appearances as well. It's something I'm working to draft. I actually will be writing it for my Patreon, which I just created. I'll put a link on my profile if you're interested in possibly showing some support. 

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the ride. I'll try and circle back and reply to comments as well. I truly do appreciate you taking the time to give kudos, comment and read this story. I'll see you in the next one. 

\- Blu


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